


Heirs of Etheria

by Pisces_Princess



Series: The Lost Kingdom of Etheria [3]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bright Moon (She-Ra), Clubbing, Crystal Castle, Dryl, Etheria - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Future Visions, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Inspired by She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Lesbian Disaster, Life in the Horde (She-Ra), M/M, Magic, Musicia, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Fiction, Salineas, Snows, The First Ones (She-Ra), The Fright Zone (She-Ra), Useless Lesbians, Visions, plumeria - Freeform, the heart of etheria
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29709180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pisces_Princess/pseuds/Pisces_Princess
Summary: Three years after the death of her mom, Shiri is spiraling out of control. Her life has become a blur of clubbing, drinking, and sex to suppress her powers and her grief as she has become involved with a notorious gang leader.Finn doesn't want to be like their family. They wants to travel the universe, no attachments and no worries, not since losing his long-standing crush, Shiri.Fate has them reunite at a club years after they lost saw each other. Will they allow love back into their lives after losing so much? It seems there are forces stronger than them at play.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Brio/Callista, Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Haevyn/Circe, Lexie/Calliope, Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Musa/Ronen, Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra), Shiri/Alejandro, Shiri/Finn, Zimri/Marmoris
Series: The Lost Kingdom of Etheria [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2174361
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! This is the sequel to my first book, The Power in You, and takes place 27 years after the original story! 
> 
> I also have a one-shot book that accounts for the lives of our favorite characters within those 27 years called The Power in You: One-Shots! Check it out, it goes into more depth about a lot of our characters! 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Chapter One

Shiri looked at herself in the tall mirror, tracing the bright red tube of lipstick around her lips until they popped against her pale complexion. She puckered her lips, leaning back to inspect her handiwork. Her black hair hung loosely around her face, a single white strand among the ebony waves, and stopped just below her chin. She tussled it, trying to give it a sexy, bad girl look. Her chocolate brown eyes were framed by heavy eyeliner and mascara. 

She ran her hands down her sides, smoothing down the tight, sequined gold dress. It was held up by thin straps, accentuating her breasts, and stopped mid-thigh. She turned around, checking out the backless dress and enjoying the view of her ass in the skin-tight number. Of course, her heels matched. Strappy gold stilettos that gave her an extra five inches of height. She did one more pucker of her lips before she walked away from the mirror.

“Halina! Hurry up! We’re supposed to be there by eleven!” she yelled, grabbing her clutch. She hissed softly as pain shot through her temples, a migraine starting to build from not having her injection in a few weeks. Thankfully, Alejandro would be there tonight. 

“Relax, sis. Hallie wants to make sure she’s perfect. It’s not every day she turns eighteen,” her twin brother, Zimri, said from the loveseat, his arm wrapped around his husband, Marmoris’, shoulders. Zimri was gorgeously handsome, like his sister, with dark black hair that hung long down his shoulders and a white patch sitting on top of his head. Unlike her, he had beautiful blue eyes like their mama. He was strongly built from training with their mom. 

His husband, Marmoris, was petite with lovely mocha skin, a short layer of blue hair over his head, and dark green eyes that always seemed to bore into her soul. Zimri and Marmoris wore black slacks and long-sleeved gold shirts with the buttons partially undone, matching Shiri’s gold dress. 

“I know but Alejandro is waiting for us. I don’t know what’s taking her so long, I already did her hair and makeup, it should not take that long to put on an outfit!” Shiri exclaimed, walking over towards the walk-in closet, her heels clicking on the marble floor. “Get your ass out here, Hallie! My man is waiting!”

“I wish you would drop that bum, sis. He’s bad news,” Zimri warned her and Marmoris snorted beside him.

“Darling, you know she stays with him because of that dick. That is one fine ass man she got,” Marmois said, earning a glare from his husband. “Of course not as fine as you, babe,” he quickly added, giving him a peck on the lips. 

“That’s what a thought,” Zimri grumbled as Halina finally stepped out of the closet. 

Their sister was about seven years younger than them but did not resemble her older siblings as much. Instead of dark tresses, she had inherited her grandmother’s white curls, which tumbled down her back one of her shoulders as it was pinned to one side, covering her scarred ear that no longer heard. Her chocolate brown eyes, much like Shiri’s, were framed with eyeliner and mascara, and she wore a more muted mauve lipstick. 

She nervously patted down her dress, more conservative than her sisters. It was gold, matching the theme of the group, sequined, and reached her knees, and had a halter neckline that wrapped around her throat, a small window exposing only the upper part of her dress. She had opted for some chunky black heels that only gave her a few extra inches but she didn’t need them, she was already as tall as her siblings without them. 

“Damn girl! Look at you, looking fine as hell! We going to be beating people off her tonight, Z,” Marmoris said with a smirk and Zimri rolled his eyes. 

“Do I really have to wear this? I feel… exposed,” Halina said, squirming under everyone’s gaze.

“You look fabulous! Come on, live a little! You haven’t had fun since mama…” Shiri trailed off, the room glooming some over the mention of their mama. She cleared her throat quickly, clapping her hands. “Let’s get going! This club is totally hot! Alejandro said only the best for his girl’s little sister. Drinks are on him tonight, Hallie,” she said, grabbing her sister’s hand and pulling her towards the door. 

“What if I don’t want to drink?” Halina asked, frowning as Zimri and Marmoris followed. 

“Come on, sourpuss! At least one drink! Then we’ll dance the night away!” Shiri squealed, spinning around in a circle gleefully before reaching for the door. She pulled it open and nearly jumped out of her skin as their mom, Lexie, stood in front of it, her hands on her hips as she raised her eyebrow at them. 

“Busted,” Zimri whispered as Marmoris gently elbowed him. Halina swallowed heavily. 

“Where do you four think you’re going?” she asked and they all looked at each other, trying to silently communicate an excuse.

“We’re just taking Hallie out for her birthday, mom. We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Shiri said and Lexie huffed. 

“Where are you taking her?” she questioned and Shiri groaned.

“What is this, an interrogation? There’s a new club in Salineas that Sereia asked us to check out with her,” Shiri said, name dropping the princess of Salineas’. Lexie glared, not completely buying her story but not unable to disprove it either.

“Have her home by one, Zimri. One drink, that’s it. No funny business, Shiri,” Lexie warned and Shiri mockingly saluted, pulling Halina past their mom and out into the hallway. 

“Will do, captain!” she told her as Marmoris stepped by and Zimir stopped to give Lexie a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll keep her in line, mom, you have my word,” he told her and Lexie relaxed a little, smiling up at him. The queen wasn’t as young as she used to be, twenty-seven years did that to a woman. Grey streaks had started forming through her black locks and wrinkles were forming around her brown eyes yet there was still a youthful fire behind her eyes that had never died away. 

“Thank you, son. I know I can always count on you,” she said and watched as her children walked away, shaking her head. “You made some wild ones, Callie,” she whispered. 

_

In Brightmoon, Finn was pulling their blonde hair back into a half-up bun, their black cat ears and tail twitching with nervous anticipation. They were wearing black slacks with a loose white tank top that exposed their sides, a black tube top showing underneath. They adjusted their red bandana around their neck and flexed their claws through the fingerless gloves they wore. 

“Almost ready, Finn? We need to go before our parents find out,” Shimmer said, bouncing on the balls of her feet nervously. She had beautiful light brown skin and ombre purple/brown curly hair with sparkles in it. She wore a short, purple dress that came mid-thigh and had thick straps to hold it up. It was as sparkly as she was. Finn’s blue eyes met her dark ones. 

“Yea, I’m ready. You know the plan. This club is a notorious hotbed for gang activity. We need to find the leader of the Desert Rose gang and gather as much information as possible. My moms have not been having any luck stopping the gang violence that’s been rising out of the Crimson Waste,” they explained and Shimmer nodded. 

“We need to disguise you, though. Your ears will stick out like a sore thumb,” she explained, untying the bandana from around their neck and wrapping it around their head to pin down their ears. “Is there any way to tuck in that tail?”

“Yea, but it’s going to be uncomfortable,” they whined as they pushed their tail into their slacks. “Don’t forget our masks, this club has a masquerade theme for anonymity.” 

Shimmer nodded, grabbing their masks as they heard a knock on the door. They froze, staring as a voice came from the other side. 

“Shimmer? What are you doing there? I thought I heard Finn,” they heard someone say and relaxed as Shimmer opened the door to reveal her older brother, Archer. He was big and bulky, with similar features to his sister from his light brown skin to his omber pink hair. He looked past her towards Finn. “What are you two planning?”

“Nothing! Go away! You’re so annoying!” she squeaked as he pushed past her into the room, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Where are you two going dressed like that?” he asked and Finn sighed. 

“We’re going to that masquerade club in the Crimson Waste,” they told him and he gasped. 

“The one where the Desert Rose gang hangs out?! You guys can’t be serious!” he said.

“Please don’t tell mom and dad! We want to help them capture the gang leader and end the violence!” Shimmer proclaimed and Archer shook his head in annoyance. 

“That is ridiculous! I’m coming with you two so you don’t get yourselves killed,” Archer decided with a nod and Shimmer squealed in delight. 

“Let’s go then!” She yelled, grabbing both of their arms as she teleported them out of the room in a spray of sparkles. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone enjoys the club until She-Ra crashes the party. Finn recognizes Shiri but she doesn't recognize him.

Chapter 2

The club, known as the Scarlet Jewel, was pulsing with music when the group arrived. The Crimson Waste did not offer much but did have a great nightlife. The lighting was pulsing along with the loud music that drowned out everything, even thoughts. The dance floor was packed with patrons dancing, a platform stationed as an island in the middle where the DJ played, and the bar was full of people drinking. Booths and tables littered the walls, some roped off for the VIP guests. Shiri already felt her hips start to sway. 

“Stick with me, guys! Some of these people will eat you alive! And don’t forget your masks!” she yelled over the music as she led them through the club, everyone slipping on their masks as they walked towards the biggest roped-off booth where people were already lounging about. A tall man stood in front of the table, talking with another man. He had blonde hair cropped short, steely gray eyes with a scar spreading over the left one, and a thick build, filling out his clothes nicely. 

Shiri squealed. “Alejandro!” she yelled as she lurched herself into his arms, which he caught effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him passionately, running her fingers through his hair. When she pulled away, she was panting softly as he held her up by her ass, giving it a small squeeze. 

“Damn, you should greet me like that more often,” he smirked, trailing kisses along her jaw as she giggled. Someone cleared their throats and she looked over to her siblings, sighing at the interruption as she unwrapped her legs and slid down off him. 

“Alejandro, this is my baby sister, Halina,” she introduced, going over and putting her hands on Halina’s shoulders as she pushed her forward. “It’s her 18th birthday! We came to show her some fun!” 

“And fun she shall have. It is a pleasure to meet you, princess,” he said, taking her hand and giving it a kiss that made Halina’s cheeks flare with embarrassment. “Whatever your heart desires tonight, it shall be yours. Anything for my best girl,” he winked at Shiri, who smiled brilliantly. 

“Drinks! Carl, bring us a round of drinks, pronto!” she told the henchman standing close to her and he scurried off to the bar. Alejandro took her hand and led her to the booth, sitting down as he pulled her into his lap. Halina sat down beside him, tapping her foot nervously. 

“We’re going to go dance for a while, hun,” Marmoris told them as he grabbed Zimri’s hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. She waved at them as Alejandro trailed kisses up her neck. Carl came back a few moments later, handing out the drinks, which Halina took, sniffing it curiously.

“Girl, it’s not going to bite you! Drink it!” Shiri encouraged, taking a drink from her own glass. “Oooh, why doesn’t Ricky go dance with Hallie, Alejandro? I’m sure he will keep her company,” she murmured against his ear and he nodded, snapping his fingers as another man ran over to join them. 

“Ricky, this is Halina. I expect that you show her a good time tonight,” he told him and Ricky nodded, holding his hand out for Halina. She looked at her sister, who nodded encouragingly before taking it and being led away to the dance floor. When Halina was gone, Shiri let her smile drop, sitting down her drinks to press her fingers to her temples as the migraine started increasing tenfold. 

“Need your fix, sugar?” Alejandro said as he pulled a small pouch from his pocket, pulling out a small syringe with red liquid inside. Shiri nodded eagerly, moving to straddle his lap. He ran a cool hand up her thigh, giving it a light squeeze before pushing the syringe in, injecting her with the liquid. She hissed softly as he pulled the needle out, capping it and putting it back in the pouch as he handed it to her. Her migraine immediately faded as she took the pouch and stored it in her clutch.

“That’s a few months supply in there. Can’t have you finding an excuse not to see me,” he told her. 

“I always want to see you, boss,” she murmured seductively in his ear, pulling him into another kiss. 

_

On the other side of the club, Finn, Shimmer, and Archer had entered, taking in the scene. 

“We should split up, we’ll be able to cover more ground that way,” Finna said as they put on their masks as well. Archer looked around, eyes stopping on a young girl who looked uncomfortable beside a taller man, who was leaning over her. 

“Meet back here in an hour. No drinking, Shimmer,” he warned as he beelined towards the scene. Shimmer groaned, eyeing the bar. 

“One drink won’t hurt…” she mumbled to Finn as she veered off towards the bar, leaving them alone to make their way to the dance floor. 

As Archer approached the two figures, he was able to hear part of their conversation and he did not like it.

“Come on, baby, let’s dance. Stop being such a prude,” the guy told her, playing with one of her white curls. She jerked away, frowning.

“I said I didn’t want to, leave me alone,” she told him again and he grabbed her arm, causing her to hiss. 

“Listen here, you little bitch…” he started but was stopped when Archer came up beside him, putting his hand on his arm. 

“If I was you, I would not finish that sentence. Scram, scum,” Archer told the man, who quickly let go of the girl and ran off. He turned towards her as she rubbed the arm that was grabbed and when her chocolate brown eyes met his dark ones, his breath hitched in his throat. 

“I- um… a-are you okay?” he stuttered, blushing. She blushed too and he thought he had never seen a pretty shade of pink. 

“Yea… Thank you. I’m Halina,” she said, extending her hand and he took it gently, smiling. 

“Like Princess Halina of Musicia?” he questioned and she nodded. “I’m Prince Archer of Brightmoon. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen each other…”

“Oh! I remember you! It’s so nice to see a familiar face here. This has been the worst birthday so far. I really don’t want to be here,” she told him and he frowned. 

“It’s your birthday and you’re out doing something you don’t like? That doesn’t make any sense!” he said and she nodded eagerly.

“It was my stupid sister’s idea! She just wanted to meet up with her boyfriend, Alejandro. Guys a real piece of work,” she told him and he mentally noted the name before focusing back on her. 

“What would you be doing on your perfect birthday?” he asked and led her over to an empty table, pulling out her chair for her to sit down. She took the seat, smoothing down her dress, and started playing with the hair closest to her ear. 

“I’d be back home, curled up in my window bench with a good book. There’d be tea and cake to eat. My baby brother would be curled up on my lap, sleeping… It would be quiet and peaceful,” she explained. 

“That does sound perfect. That’s exactly what I would want to do on my birthday, minus the baby brother thing,” he chuckled and she laughed, placing her hand over his. He looked at her hand then back at her, smiling. 

_

“Fucking hell, Alejandro! Your goon was supposed to be taking care of her, not pushing himself on her! I want his head!” Shiri snarled, sitting on the table as Alejandro stood beside her, Ricky trying to make up excuses for why he abandoned Halina.

“Is that what you want, princess? It can be arranged,” he told her, taking her hand to kiss it as Ricky gulped and started begging for his life. 

“Naw, he doesn’t seem worth the trouble. Just get him out of my sight,” she said with a dismissive hand and Ricky was dragged away from her. “You sure do know how to spoil a girl,” she smirked. 

Overhead, the music changed to something less upbeat and boring and Shiri groaned, hopping off the table. “Someone needs to teach this club what real music is,” she said, leaning up to give him a searing kiss before making her way to the dance floor. She found Zimri and Marmoris quickly and when Zimri met her eyes, he knew what they were about to do. 

“Sorry, love. Duty calls,” he murmured, kissing Marmoris’ temple quickly before following Shiri up to the DJ platform. She stood eye level with the DJ, putting a hand on her hip while raising an eyebrow.

“You call this music? Beat it! We’re taking over the next track,” she told him as he scrambled out of the way and Zimri took control of the soundboard as Shiri grabbed the microphone. 

“What’s up, Scarlet Jewel! Let’s get some real music pumping up in here!” she announced as the crowd cheered. She stepped in front of the soundboard so that she was in full view as Zimri started working the new beat. 

_ Open up your eyes _

_ Take a look at me _

_ Get the picture fixed _

_ In your memory _

_ I’m driven by the rhythm _

_ Like the beat of a heart _

_ And I won’t stop until I start  _

_ To stand out _

She started singing, swaying her hips to the rhythm of the song as all eyes were on her as the crowd cheered and danced to the new music. 

_

Finn had been dancing through the crowd for a while, eyeing the booths of people along the walls for any sign of the gang members. They had danced with several different people, trying to get closer. They were growing frustrated with every new song. It wasn’t until a new voice came out over the speaker, announcing new music that they turned their eyes towards the DJ platform, the voice as enchanting as the figure they saw. 

She was swaying to the beat of the music as she sang, her hips were hypnotizing. She had beautiful legs, accented by total fuck-me heels. Their eyes traveled upwards, taking in the gold dress that shouldn’t even be considered clothing, it barely covered anything. Perfectly rounded breasts, pale skin, slender neck, a dark bob of curls, until they landed on her eyes. Warm, rich, and earthy, the most beautiful shade of brown they had seen before, years ago, before they had disappeared. 

_ I’m under a spell _

_ I’m in over my head _

_ And you know I’m goin’ all of the way to the end _

_ To stand out! _

_ Above the crowd _

_ Even if I gotta shout out loud _

_ Til mine is the only face you see _

_ Gotta stand out _

_ Til you notice me _

And notice her they did. There was no way they could take their eyes off her. She had cut off all her curls since they last saw her, she had definitely filled out into her womanhood. The lighthearted girl they knew all those years ago didn’t seem to exist in the voluptuous creature that stood before them. 

She finished her song with a roar from the crowd, she took a small bow and passed the mic back off to the DJ as the man who was at the soundboard came around, taking her hand to lead her onto the dance floor. Finn made their way towards her, dancing and weaving through the crowd desperately. They had to keep their eyes on her, they didn’t want to lose her again… 

She was dancing to the new music that was blasting, enjoying the beat as it pulsed through the club. Finn slid up behind her, hands falling to her wide hips as they swayed to the music with her. She paused for only a moment before grinding back into them, arms coming up so that they could reach behind her and place her hands on their neck. It was a slow, sensual dance they created together. 

She spun around, hands going around their neck completely as she rested her arms on their shoulders, pressing her front into theirs. A smirk played on her lips as she leaned up, her breath tickling the side of their face. 

“You’re bold to dance with me. My man hasn’t taken his eyes off us. He’s not someone you want to test,” she whispered and Finn glanced down at her, tilting their head. She didn’t seem to recognize them the same way they recognized her. Probably because their ears and tail were tucked away. They glanced away to see a tall, blonde man glaring at them from a VIP booth, an angry sneer plastered on their face. 

“You’re bold to assume that I give a shit,” Finn told her, allowing their hands to snake around from her hips to her lower back, pulling her impossibly closer. She let out a small squeak of surprise, giggling. 

“I like a feisty partner. It’s an absolute turn-on,” she told them as they rocked against each other. “You remind me of someone I used to know,” she whispered softly, almost too soft to be heard if they did not have amazing hearing. 

Their heads leaned toward each other, noses almost touching when a scream sounded from across the dance floor and the room was filled with bright light. 

“It’s She-Ra! Run!” the voice screamed and the patrons started fleeing. Finn and Shiri jumped away from each other.

“She’s after me!” they both yelled, eyes widening in surprise as they looked at each other. “She’s after you?” 

Shiri surged forward before Finn could react, grabbing their face and slanting her mouth against theirs in a searing, passionate kiss that left them breathless. She pulled away too quickly, that playful smirk gracing her lips again. 

“Sorry to kiss and run but I gotta bounce. She-Ra and I don’t get along,” she said, turning and disappearing into the crowd, leaving Finn to stand in the middle of the dance floor with the chaos surrounding them, mind blank. They didn’t come out of their stupor until they felt large hands on their shoulders and turned to come face to face with their 8-foot tall mom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song credits to Stand Out by Tevin Campbell


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiri and Halina get ready for bed; Finn comes up with a plan

Chapter 3

Shiri collapsed back on her bed with a groan, struggling to kick off her heels. Halina shook her head, kicking off her own heels before going over and helping Shiri’s with hers. 

“Thanks, sis,” Shiri told her as Halina collapsed beside her, both of them looking up at the overhanging canopy. They didn’t share a room, there was plenty of space for them to have their own but they enjoyed being together so Halina often found herself sleeping beside her older sister, especially after their mama… 

“I’m sorry we had to leave so early… you know how it is with She-Ra…” Shiri mumbled and Halina turned her head to look at her, taking in how much older her sister looked when she talked about their Aunt Adora, their mama, their kingdom, or anything that smelled like the past or responsibility. 

“It’s okay… it wasn’t much fun anyway. I just wish you would forgive Aunt Adora already, it’s been three years…” Halina told her, and Shiri’s face twisted momentarily into anger before she sighed heavily, rubbing her hands up her face. 

“I don’t want to talk about it, Hallie. Drop it,” Shiri told her sternly, the conversation immediately stopping there. Halina turned back to look at the canopy. 

“I met someone tonight… You remember Prince Archer?” Halina asked and Shiri immediately rolled over to her stomach, propping her head upon her hands as she gave Halina a shit-eating grin. 

“Oooh, yes I do. You used to have the biggest crush on him!” she teased and Halina sat up, throwing a pillow at Shiri.

“No, I didn’t! Oh my gods you’re so embarrassing!” she squealed, her face turning red from the comment. Shiri laughed out loud, pulling herself to her knees to throw the pillow back.

“Admit it! You had a huge crush on him when you were fifteen! Looks like it didn’t go away! Awww, Halina and Archer, sitting in a tree!” she said in a singsong voice, causing Halina to hop off the bed.

“I’m sleeping in my own room! You’re such a pain!”

“Aww, Hallie! Don’t leave! You know I’m teasing you! Please stay!” Shiri pouted and Halina huffed before going over to the drawer to grab their pajamas, throwing Shiri’s pair over at her.

“Get ready for bed, you can’t sleep in that dress. And wipe that gunk off your face, your skin is going to break out if you don’t keep it clean,” Halina told her and Shiri rolled her eyes, grabbing her pajamas and heading towards the adjoining bathroom. 

“So bossy. Who are you, my mother?” Shiri said as she closed the door, not hearing what Halina said afterward. She took to cleaning herself up, washing her face, and brushing out her hair. She slipped out of the dress, letting it fall to the floor as she pulled on her sleep shorts and a tank top. 

Her clutch caught her eye on the counter and she picked it up, pulling the bag of vials out and stashing them underneath the counter in a small cubby she had installed so no one would find them. She finished up her stuff in the bathroom and walked out, Halina walking by to go in. Shiri took up her side of the bed, it was always the side that was to the right of Halina so that her sister could hear her throughout the night. 

Halina came out after about ten minutes and turned off the lights, taking up her side of the bed. The moonlight gleamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the room. 

“Should I invite him over…?” Halina whispered softly and Shiri snorted, turning to her side so she was facing her little sister.

“You should. Maybe he’ll start officially courting you. And he can ask you to Princess Prom in a few months,” Shiri whispered back, watching the outline of Halina’s figure. 

“You think he likes me? I mean… he did save me from that awful man you stuck me with. What a pig.”

“I took care of him for you. I’m sorry that happened… I just wanted you to have a good birthday.”

“I did have a good birthday. I got to spend it with my family, that’s all I ever wanted. Shiri?” Halina mumbled, starting to drift off to sleep. Shiri patted around until she found Halina’s hand and took it into hers, squeezing.

“Yea?”

“You don’t have to try so hard… to make everyone happy… Everyone will understand if you’re not.”

“If I’m not what?”

“Happy… You put on a brave face but I sometimes see the cracks. You didn’t grieve for mama properly…” 

Shiri sighed, closing her eyes. She didn’t want to hear about their mama, the past, nothing. It made it harder to keep everything in control if she dwelled on it too long. She gave Halina’s hand another squeeze, hearing her breath even out as she fell asleep.

“Sometimes that’s all I can do, Hallie… You wouldn’t understand,” Shiri sighed softly, gently moving a white curl from her face. “You grew up too fast… I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

_

Finn, Shimmer, and Archer all sat on the couch in the study at the Brightmoon Palace, their parents standing in front of them. Glimmer had a vein pulsing in her forehead, Bow keeping a hand on her shoulder so she didn’t lurch forward to strangle their two. Adora was pacing, no longer in She-Ra form but still as intimidating while Catra lounged back against the wall, checking out her claws. 

“What were you three thinking?! There better be a good reason why you were out at a Crimson Waste club, much less a notorious hotbed from gang activity, especially the Desert Rose gang! What were you guys thinking?!” Glimmer yelled, eye starting to twitch.

“We were trying to help! We’re more than old enough to handle ourselves out there!” Shimmer argued. “You keep treating us like children, we’re all in our early to mid-twenties. Not exactly babies here!”

“Just because you’re not a child doesn’t mean I can’t still ground you!” Glimmer threatened, causing Shimmer to stand up. 

“Mom! You’re so embarrassing! We found out a lot of information tonight before Aunt Adora busted in!”

“What did you find?” Adora asked eagerly, stepping forward. 

“Princess Halina was at the club,” Archer stated, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “She said that her siblings had dragged her out for her birthday, which means that Princess Shiri and Prince Zimri were also there.”

“I can vouch for that. I was with Princess Shiri but she didn’t recognize me…” Finn said quietly, absently touching their lips where Shiri kissed them. “She mentioned something about a man not liking me dancing with her and I did see a blonde man with a scar staring at us.”

Adora frowned deeply, coming to a stop from her pacing. “A man with a scar? Sounds like Alejandro, the Desert Rose gang leader. I’ve been tracking him for a while but he’s good at hiding. If Shiri is involved with him, that’s not good.”

“Girl’s got balls, I’ll give her that,” Catra commented, finally looking up from her claws. Finn frowned at their mama. 

“He’s probably blackmailing her or something. We have to stop him before he hurts her,” Finn said.

“We are trying to stop him but we have no leads! We don’t know where the gang camps out, they have no predictable patterns to their activity or violence, we’ve got nothing! If we had someone on the inside, it would be easier but it’s just as hard tracking down members to talk to, much less get them to cooperate,” Adora grumbled, rubbing her temples.

“Get Shiri’s help,” Finn suggested. Everyone just stared at them and their ears flattened on their head. “She’s obviously close to Alejandro. She probably knows how to find him, get in contact with him, anything. Get close to her, you’ll be able to get close to him.”

“Adora, it’s not a bad idea… If she’s as close to him as Finn says, she could give us the information we need to end this,” Glimmer told her and Adora shook her head.

“No. Absolutely not. Shiri hates me. I’m not allowed in the city, there’s no way I’ll be able to get information out of her. Not like she would talk to me even if I was allowed close enough,” Adora told them.

“Why does Shiri hate you? She was never someone to hold a grudge,” Shimmer commented and Finn nodded in agreement, watching as their mom’s face fell into a troubled expression. Catra came up behind Adora, putting her hands on her arms.

“It wasn’t your fault, no matter what she says,” Catra murmured against Adora’s ear, low enough that only Finn was able to hear it. 

“It doesn’t matter why she hates me. The point is, we won’t be able to extract any information out of her because of it.”

Finn thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion. “Let me do it.”

Everyone turned their attention back to them. Shimmer smirked, poking Finn. 

“You just want to see her again! You always had the biggest crush on her! Finn and Shiri, sitting in a tree!” she sang out and Finn hissed at her, causing Archer to hide his laughter.

“You’re insufferable, Shimmer! Shiri used to trust me! Give me some time to earn that trust again, I’ll be able to get the information out of her,” Finn told them and Bow looked at Adora.

“They’re right. Finn and Shiri were very close when they were kids, even up until the last Princess Prom. You may be banned from the city but the rest of your family isn’t. It’s worth a shot,” he negotiated and Adora bit her lip, contemplating. 

“Shiri will be pissed when she finds out about this,” Adora muttered and Finn nodded.

“Yea, if she finds out. Which she won’t.”

“She’ll blame me if she finds out, she’ll think I put you up to this.”

“She’s not going to find out, mom. She used to trust me, somewhere deep down, she still does. I can do this, give me some time. Six months tops. How does that sound?”

Adora looked to the rest of the Best Friend Squad, who nodded encouragingly and she sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

“Fine, six months. You report everything to me, every last detail she tells you. She takes you somewhere, you wear a tracker. You have a conversation, you make sure it’s recorded. We need to bring Alejandro to justice, quickly.”

Finn stood up, saluting. “I won’t let you down, mom. I promise.”

“Now, how are we even going to go about getting to Musicia? It’s not like anyone has been to the city in the last three years, the royal family has been pretty isolated from the rest of Etheria. We can’t just show up on their doorsteps,” Shimmer told them and Archer cleared his throat, causing the room to look at him.

“I uhhh… had a good talk with Princess Halina… I can get us into the palace, no problem,” he mumbled. 

“Oh my gods, you totally have a crush on her! Archer, you sly dog! You were getting all cozy to the princess while we were doing the hard work,” Shimmer teased and Archer blushed. 

“How soon can you get an invitation to the palace?” Adora asked.

“The next couple of days, probably. Just let me write her a letter and find her a birthday gift,” Archer told them and Shimmer squealed. 

“Make sure you get us all invited. Won’t be cool if only you’re invited and we end up tagging along,” Finn reminded them. 

“I’ll get us in, no problem. I just hope you don’t screw it up with Shiri. Heard from Sereia that she’s gotten tough, they go out clubbing together.”

“Let’s see if we can get Flora to tag along. She used to be close to Shiri as well,” Finn said.

The door to the study open and a small head poked in, brown mane and blue eyes staring inside at the group. 

“Nala, what are you doing out of bed?” Catra chided, going over to pick up the ten-year-old, who wrapped their tail around her arm as they head their head on their mama’s shoulder.

“I got thirsty and heard voices. Why was everyone yelling?” she asked, cat ears twitching. 

“No reason, sweetie. You should go back to bed. I’ll come to tuck you in in a minute,” Adora said, going over to kiss the little girl's head. Nala nodded as Catra walked out with her.

“Good night everyone!” she yelled over her mama’s shoulders. 

“Good night, Nala!” the group said back, the tension slowly leaving the room. 

“Let me know how the meeting goes in a few days,” Adora tells them, heading out after her wife and child. 

“You all should go to bed. It’s been a long night,” Glimmer groaned, rubbing her face as Bow waved goodnight to the group and led his wife out of the study.  
Shimmer looked at her brother and her best friend, giving them a shit-eating grin. “Looks like we’re getting the group back together again!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support I have gotten for this book! Slow updates, I am working on my one-shots as well! Check them out to meet these new characters in future chapters!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A memory and a meeting

Chapter 4

_It had been a few hours since the funeral. Shiri sat on Calliope’s throne, still in her black funeral dress, head buried into her hands. She doesn’t know how long she had been sitting there. Probably since the end of the funeral. Everything felt cold and numb, she wanted to cry but she couldn’t bring the tears forward. She had too much to do, no time to allow grief to cloud it._

_She heard footsteps walking towards the thrones, they echoed loudly in the empty ballroom, where so many lively memories lived. She couldn’t bring herself to look up, she didn’t want to look up. But she had to because the footsteps stopped at the end of the steps that led up to the platform._

_She glanced up, blinking away the fuzziness of her vision to see Adora and Catra looking up at her, pain and grief stark on their faces. The look on Adora’s face made Shiri’s blood boil, how dare she look so sad when she wasn’t there to help!_

“What do you want? I’m not taking visitors,” _Shiri mumbled, trying to push the anger down, hoping that they leave quickly. Leave her to her own pain._

“Shiri,” _Adora said, stepping to the first step._ “I am so sorry about your mother. Calliope was an amazing woman. If there is anything you need from us, we’re here for you. We’re family.”

_Shiri let out a bitter laugh, rising from the throne to tower over them. The anger was building, her body thrumming with it. Her eyes flashed pure white, causing Adora to back down immediately._

“You weren’t there. The powerful She-Ra, who could heal anything, wasn’t there to help my mother when she needed it most. She had told you about the violence in the woods! She pleaded for help! You. Did. Nothing! You weren’t even on Etheria! What was more important than helping our own planet?”

_Adora fumbled for an explanation, unsure how to answer the angry girl as Shiri had descended some of the steps as she talked. She could feel the magical energy rolling off the young girl in waves._

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry I didn’t help. Your mother needed me, and I was not there to help her, and that’s on me. Please, Shiri… I’m here now. Where’s Lexie? Where’s your mom?” _Adora pleaded._

“Did you know that they were soulmates? To halves of the same whole?” _Shiri mumbled, rocking side to side as the magical energy thrummed through her, thrummed out through the ballroom. She couldn’t control it anymore. All those years of practice, out the window._ “She’s been inconsolable. Can’t even take care of her new infant son. Do you know who’s been taking care of him? Halina. A fifteen-year-old, who just lost her mother and half of her hearing. She’s the only one he responds to, given that he can’t hear at all!”

 _Shiri let out a cackle, feeling herself crack and break under the realizations of what their life had become._ “She watched our mother die. She had to deliver our brother in the middle of the woods and where were you again? Off helping everyone else but our own!” _A magical wave unleashed from her words, nearly knocking the two women back. Adora stood in front of Catra to shield her from the blast._

“Shiri! Listen to me! This isn’t you! You’re angry and hurt, I understand that! Don’t push us away, we just want to help! Just let us talk to Lexie, she’ll understand!” _Catra pleaded with her, looking around Adora’s shoulder._

“My mom is not meeting with anyone! With my mother dead and her debilitated, I am the reigning queen! This is my kingdom and you are no longer welcomed here, She-Ra! Get out of my city!” _Shiri screamed, her voice echoing in the room. Everything around her was flashing dangerously. She was on the verge of losing all the control she had built up over the years. She watched as Adora’s face fell._

“Shiri… you’re our family… we love you. Please don’t do this…” _Adora begged and Shiri’s eyes flashed again, settling on the permanent whiteness seen on Calliope all those years ago. Catra pulled Adora back quickly, urging her to leave._

“GET. OUT! She-Ra is no longer welcomed in the kingdom of Musicia! Your people have taken what is rightfully ours, siphoning magic from us for centuries! No more! I am the Heart of Etheria, I will wipe your existence from the history books! I will make sure no one ever knew you existed!” _Shiri screamed, the room pulsating around her as Catra managed to pull Adora from the room, the doors closing behind them. She let out a final scream of rage as she fell to her hands and knees, the glass windows shattering around her._

______________________________________________________________________________

Shiri opened her eyes, staring up at the canopy above her. She let out a deep breath that she did not know she was holding, her body relaxing back into the mattress, the dream/memory fading as the sunshine warmed her face. She hated remembering the past, it distracted her from the present. 

She reached her hand out, feeling around beside her for Halina but coming up empty. That wasn’t unusual, Halina was usually up by dawn to take care of Nicaise, much to their mom’s displeasure. It had been a few days since their night at the club and they had finally gotten back into their normal routine. 

Shiri didn’t want to get up. She wanted to sink into the mattress and disappear. It was moments like this, in the quiet, in the loneliness, where she allowed herself to be… normal. Not happy, not bubbly, not sexy, not confident, but a ghost of her former self. A little girl who lost her mom too soon ruled a kingdom for six months and carried the magical abilities to stand toe-to-toe with the most powerful princess on Etheria. 

It wasn’t until she heard a knock on her door, Zimri’s voice telling her to come down for breakfast, that she found the strength to get up and put her mask back on. It was just going through the motions for a while until she was in front of a crowd: put on dress, brush hair, wash face, slip-on shoes, breathe. When she found herself presentable, she gave her reflection a dazzling, carefree smile, everything slipping back into place as she exited her room. 

She wore a yellow pantsuit romper with spaghetti straps and matching black heels that clicked down the hallway towards the dining room. She wore a matching brown belt that presented her mother’s Horde Badge on her hip. She had fought Zimri for it after her death and had won it, triumphantly. She entered the dining room, going around to take her seat beside her mother.

Lexie sat at the head of the table, picking at her eggs. Shiri sat to her left while Zimri sat to her right, Marmoris sitting beside him. Halina was sitting beside Shiri, their younger brother, Nicaise, sitting on her lap as she fed him from her plate. He was three, a little ball of energy, and never left Halina’s side if he could help it. They had a bond that no one could explain, they understood each other without words. Aunt Haevyn and Aunt Circe sat beside Halina, quietly discussing something while their godparents, Brio and Callista, sat opposite of them beside Marmoris. 

Halina looked up from her plate as Shiri sat down and smiled, Nicaise blabbering in her lap. “Guess what!” her younger sister said excitedly and Shiri shrugged, serving herself some toast and fruit.

“What is it? Did they forget to bring out your favorite jam again?” Shiri teased.

“No! Archer wrote to me! He’s coming for a visit today with Shimmer, Finn, and Flora! Remember them? You guys used to be best friends!” Halina squealed and Shiri froze, knife hovering over her toast to add her butter. Her head snapped to her mom, who was busy sipping her morning tea. 

“Mom… please tell me she’s joking. We haven’t had anyone visit the city in…”

“Years. No one that wasn’t a citizen hasn’t visited the city in three years, since your mom passed. Since you banned She-Ra from entering. I think it’s good that your friends have decided to come to visit, especially Zimri and Halina. We can’t keep living in isolation,” Lexie told her, looking up from her cup to gauge her daughter's reaction.

Shiri gripped her knife, taking a deep breath to calm down. “I don’t want to see them. If anyone needs me today, I will be in the garden, pretending that I don’t exist.”

“You’re always so dramatic, my song. It will do you good to hang out with people who don’t want to party and drink away their lives, like Sereia. I am demanding your presence today during their visit,” Lexie told her and Shiri stabbed her knife down into the wood table, causing all conversation to die at the table. 

“You can’t demand anything from me! I will not be in attendance and you can’t make me!” Shiri seethed and Lexie stared her down, neither willing to back down from the challenge.

“Last I checked, I was still queen. Therefore, I can demand your presence anywhere I deem necessary. Like now, where you should escort your sister and keep her company during this visit.”

“Why can’t Zimri do that?! He’s her sibling too!”

“I’m requesting both of your presence during the visit. We need to re-establish and maintain relationships between the kingdoms and since either one of you will rule Musicia one day, you both need to make good with the future kings and queens of said kingdoms. End of discussion,” Lexie told her and Shiri broke eye contact first, pushing away from the table.

“It seems I have lost my appetite. If I may be excused, _your majesty?”_ she hissed and Lexie nodded, Shiri quickly leaving the dining room. 

_

Shiri found herself in the garden like she had said. The flowers always made her feel calmer. She ran her fingers along with the blue petals of her mama’s favorite roses, a gift from their Aunt Haevyn to her so many years ago. The garden always had a magical effect on her nerves, reminding her of the many afternoons she spent amongst the bushes with their mama, helping her create and grow the little lives. 

That’s how Finn found her that afternoon, standing amongst the flowers, looking absolutely radiant. She had abandoned her heels by the fountain that graced the middle of the garden and had buried her toes into some fresh dirt as she trimmed back some azalea bushes. Finn loved the peaceful expression on her face as she hummed to the flowers she worked on. 

They felt a hand on their shoulder and looked up to see Flora standing behind them, smiling. She was the daughter of Perfuma and Scorpia, with curly white hair, dark eyes, and a scorpion tail. She was a larger woman, towering over Finn by a good foot. 

“You know, it would help if you went and talked to her instead of just staring,” she suggested, causing Finn to shake their head.

“I’m sure she doesn’t want to talk to me. Besides, we should wait for the others to join us before we go forward,” Finn suggested, looking back at Flor before realizing she had already run forward into the garden. 

“Flora! Wait!” they yelled after her, running to catch up.

Shiri looked up to see what the commotion was about and was scooped up into strong arms, causing a squeal of a surprise to leave her as she was crushed against a large chest.

“Shiri! It’s been so long! I missed you!” Flora said as she spun them around. Shiri couldn’t help but laugh at the enthusiasm. She had missed this from the larger woman who was too gentle for her own good. 

“I missed you too, Flora! Can you put me down now?” she asked and Flora nodded, sitting Shiri back down onto her feet. Shiri stumbled a little before righting herself, brushing the invisible dirt off of her romper. 

“You’ve gotten bigger, I swear,” Shiri commented, leaning her head back to look up at the woman before her. Flora smiled down at her, nodding.

“That’s what happens when you disappear for ten years, Shiri. People grow and change. Besides, where were you?” Flora questioned but Shiri ignored her, a movement behind the larger woman catching her eyes. 

Finn stood awkwardly behind Flora, rubbing the back of their neck as their blue eyes made eye contact with her brown ones. It had been a long time, that’s for sure. Finn had filled out their figure, grew into their ears. Tall, blonde, handsome… butterflies erupted into her stomach the same as they used to all those years ago. 

“Finn…? It’s um… it’s been a while,” she murmured, knowing they would hear her. They nodded, coming forward so that they were standing beside Flora. 

“You’re right. It’s been a while. You look… good,” they said and Shiri nodded, feeling underdressed in her yellow romper, feeling exposed. It was silent for a few moments as they stared each other down. Flora cleared her throat suddenly, breaking them from the trance as she clapped her hands together.

“Who’s hungry? I heard your mom say something about tea time being soon? The others will be joining us in a moment,” Flora told Shiri and she blinked before straightening her back, putting on a face of indifference.

“Yes, tea time is soon. It’s a lovely day, we can enjoy the garden while we eat,” Shiri said as she motioned for them to follow. She grabbed her heels on the way over to the gazebo, leaving a trail of dirt in her wake. When they made it to the steps of the gazebo, a maid scurried over, whispering softly to Shiri. 

“Thank you, Artemis. Please inform her that we will be taking tea time in the garden and that I am not avoiding my duties, they seem to have found me,” she said out loud, glancing back briefly at Flora and Finn before ascending the steps to take a seat. Artemis hurried off to prepare their tea as the other two took a seat across from Shiri. 

Shiri sized them up from across the table, taking a small remote hidden in a cubby, and played with the settings, turning on some light, instrumental music, and the fairy lights that were strung around the ceiling. 

“Ooh, it feels so magical! This was always our favorite place to play, remember, Shiri?” Flora asked her. 

“I suppose so…” Shiri mumbled, tapping her fingers on her leg nervously. 

“Your mom would always make us cookies! I spent more time in this garden than my own back home, your mom had a magical touch with plants like mine. She would pick our favorites and make our crowns and we would pretend that this was a kingdom! Aunt Calliope was the best-”

“Can we stop talking about her? She’s gone. There’s no need to dwell in the past,” Shiri said sharply, causing Flora to flinch back and Finn to frown at her tone. Luckily, the rest of the group decided to join at that moment and Shiri’s shoulders relaxed when she caught sight of Halina and Zimri. 

She stood in greeting, putting back on her smile and Halina ran up, hugging her. She whispered softly into her older sister’s ear. “He’s been so sweet! It’s going so well. Thank you for doing this, sis.”

Shiri hugged her back, nodded very slightly before pulling away to greet the rest of the group. “Prince Archer, Princess Shimmer. It’s so nice to see you both again. Tell me, how are Aunt Glimmer and Uncle Bow doing?”

Everyone sat down, Shiri scooting closer to Flora to make room for the newcomers. Halina sat beside her, Archer on her other side, then Shimmer, Zimri, and back to Finn, on the other side of Flora. Artemis and a few other maids came back, setting the table with tea and snacks. 

“They’re doing great! They really miss everyone here. I expect they will be thrilled at a reunion during Princess Prom in a few months?” Shimmer said as she served herself. 

“Yes, everyone will be receiving an invitation, as is custom,” Zimir chided in. “While mom is still reigning queen, she is having Shiri and I oversee the party logistics.”

“Unfortunately, I am not in charge of invitations. Mom says I am too biased,” Shiri commented, pouring her tea before passing the pot along to Halina. 

“You are too biased, Shiri. If it was up to you, you would have excluded essential people and caused a civil war,” Zimri chided, and Shiri frowned at him. 

“I missed this! You two fussing like always! Awww, I’m so glad we got the group back together!” Flora commented, drinking her tea.

“The group isn’t back together. I am here out of obligation, otherwise, I would be spending my afternoon sleeping,” Shiri told her, not looking to see the crestfallen face on her former friend. Zimir scowled at her.

“So you could go out with Sereia again?” Halina questioned, breaking the tension that was starting to form between the twins.

“Sereia? Princess Sereia? She never attends meetings yet she’s going out with you?” Archer questioned and Shiri finally turned to examine him, noting that his and Halina’s arms were close together, probably holding hands under the table. Shiri gave him a once over before turning back to her cup, taking a sip.

“Yep. Seems like our nights out are more entertaining than your boring meetings,” Shiri commented and enjoyed watching his nostrils flare slightly at the jab. 

“What do you do on your nights out?” Finn asked, trying to pull her attention away from Archer. Shiri turned to face them, cocking her head to the side with a smirk.

“Why? You wanna join? Can’t imagine your… mom would be too happy about that,” Shiri said, gauging their reaction. Nothing. She furrowed her brows. 

“Last I checked, we were all grown and could do what we want. What do you say, Princess? Wanna take us out on the town?” Finn dangled temptingly over her and she contemplated the idea as she ate her scone. Unfortunately, her mom decided to make an appearance before she could give an answer, carrying a crying Nicaise. 

“Sorry to bother you guys. Hallie? He wants you,” Lexie told her and Halina was at her side in an instant, pulling the toddler into her arms. He instantly calmed down, sniffling as she took his tiny hand and placed it on her throat, and started humming. 

“What is she doing?” Finn whispered softly, looking at Shiri who was watching her siblings, a sad look gracing her features. It took Finn back for a moment and when she noticed him watching her, she slipped back on her mask of indifference. 

“Nickey can’t hear but he can feel vibrations, it’s something she’s been doing since he was born. It calms him to feel her singing,” she explained as Halina brought him back to the table and sat down, offering him a cookie. 

“Why can’t he hear?” Shimmer asked and all three siblings froze. Marmoris squeezed Zimri’s shoulder reassuringly and Shiri turned her head quickly to the girl, anger replacing the mask of indifference.

“None of your damn business!” she hissed and Lexie stepped forward, scowling at her daughter.

“Shiri! That is no way to treat a guest! Shimmer, it’s a touchy subject for this family, we would prefer not to answer,” Lexie told her gently and the princess nodded, sinking into her seat in embarrassment. Shiri was still seething, trying to regain control of her composure. She stood quickly. 

“This meeting is over. I would like for you all to leave,” she told them, rounding the table to head down the steps of the gazebo. 

“My song, you’re being unreasonable. You guys don’t have to leave, stay as long as you like. Our home is your home,” Lexie told them and Shiri kept her back to the group, grounding herself by counting the petals on a nearby flower. She flinched slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, having not heard anyone come up behind her, and turned to see Finn giving her a look of concern. 

“You okay? You’ve… never really had a temper before,” they said softly and Shiri nodded, straightening her posture.

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine. And if you would like to join me tonight, I wouldn’t mind. It’s been a while since we got into trouble together,” she smirked, bumping her hip against theirs in a teasing manner. Finn’s face flushed at the gesture before nodding.

“It’s a club in Salineas called the Laughing Dolphin. I’ll see you there around 11? Wear something… red. It’ll match my dress,” she said, giving them a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the garden. Finn touched the place she kissed gently before giving a fist pump in excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh! Things are getting heated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiri and Finn go to the club and things get spicy

Chapter 5

Shiri entered the nightclub, feeling the music pulsate through her. She always felt in her element when in the clubs, completely surrounded by music and dancing. She wore silk crimson red dress that came mid-thigh and was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, exposing her back, shoulders, and chest. She matched it with sparkly black pumps that made her legs look miles long and a simple black choker. She was dressed to dance, not impress like the other night. 

She made her way through the squirming bodies, heart racing as she kept an eye out for Finn. She wouldn’t admit it out loud but seeing them again after so many years had made her feel all jittery inside, like when she was fifteen again and saw them in a tux at Princess Prom. Back then, she had been head over heels for them. Now… She didn’t have time for infatuations like that. 

“Shiri! Over here!” She heard a voice and turned to see Sereia waving her down at the bar. She beelined for the other girl and they embraced. When she pulled back, she took in the other girl's outfit. Sereia wore a navy blue pantsuit romper with a deep neckline, exposing all the way down to her navel, paired with black pumps similar to Shiri’s. Her blue hair was pinned into a tight sock bun on top of her head, a couple of her curls pulled down to frame her face. She had the most beautiful, light brown skin, even prettier than Marmoris’. 

“Bitch, you’re wearing my heels!” Shiri squealed and Sereia let out a fake gasp, putting a hand over her exposed chest.

“Bitch, I could say the same about you! Also, who the fuck you trying to impress tonight? Alejandro won’t be here,” Sereia told her, sitting back down at the bar as Shiri joined her, flagging down the bartender to order a drink.

“I’m not trying to impress anyone! This is my good dancing outfit! Besides, Finn is going to be joining us soon,” she said, mumbling the last part. Sereia’s eyes went wide as she put a finger in her ear, wiggling it around a little.

“I’m sorry, I thought you said that Finn was joining us. I must be mistaken, there ain’t no way your childhood crush is coming to a nightclub!”

“Sereia! That was a long time ago! They were at the palace today along with the rest of the gang and I invited them to join if they were up to it. I doubt they will,” Shiri took her drink from the bartender. “Besides, I’m here to drink until I puke and dance till I drop. Are you joining me or what?”

“Please! I can drink you under the table any night! I wager the next round that Finn will be joining us,” Sereia said as she ordered her next drink.

“I’ll take that wager. Bartender, keep them coming!” she told them as she finished her first drink of the night. 

“Say, did you invite the whole gang or just Finn?” Sereia asked as she started on her next drink.

“I’m pretty sure just Finn, why?”

“Cause the whole gang just showed up,” Sereia told her and Shiri turned her head to the door. Shimmer, Flora, Archer, and Finn all stood there, seemingly searching the club. Shiri’s face flushed as she took in Finn, wearing a red long-sleeve button-up that was half-undone and black slacks, their blonde locks pulled back into a half-up bun. Sereia elbowed her slightly, smirking.

“Girl, that is one fine ass tall drink if I have ever seen one,” she teased and Shiri gaped her mouth open like a fish, at a loss for words. “Kitty already got your tongue and they aren’t even over here!”

“S-shut up, stupid bitch! You’re so embarrassing! No, don’t wave them over!” she hissed as Sereia was already calling their attention. Finn locked eyes with Shiri, who ducked her head as she grabbed her third drink and the group made their way over. 

“Chin up, girl! We’re here to have fun! Loosen up already!” Sereia scolded her as the group came up and she jumped up to hug Archer, who looked uncomfortable. Finn went around them, ending up by Shiri’s side as she finished her drink. 

“Sorry, I tried to convince them not to come but you know how Shimmer is, and then she worked Flora up, and then Archer had to make sure they wouldn’t kill themselves…” Finn whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver slightly as she put on a fake smile. 

“It’s whatever. The more, the merrier, I say. Bartender! Another round for my friends!” she snapped her fingers. 

“Sereia! Let go of me! You have time to go to nightclubs but not attend Alliance meetings?” Archer scolded her, pulling out of the embrace. Sereia pouted, hanging onto his arm.

“Archie, don’t be like that! Those meetings are soooooo boring! Why haven’t you come out with me sooner? I’m loving you in this shirt,” she purred, touching his chest. 

“Sereia! Hands off! I’m… seeing someone,” he told her, grabbing her wrists and pulling them away from him. Shiri choked on her drink, coughing. Finn patted her back as she caught her breath. 

“You think you’re seeing my sister? Are you out of your mind? Halina is like six… seven years younger than you and have you been with Sereia? That tells me everything I need to know.”

“Hey! Are you calling me a skank?” Sereia said, putting her hands on her hips as she faced Shiri. Shiri stood up, feeling the challenge.

“If the shoe fits, wear it. I know the kind of guys you deal with,” Shiri commented and Sereia gasped. 

“And what about you, Miss Perfect? You got some skeletons in your closet. Your sister would be lucky to be with my Archie! She definitely shouldn’t be around the type you hang with or have you already forgotten about him? You know what he’d do if he found out you were here with someone else.”

“Shut your fucking mouth before I shut it for you, Sereia,” Shiri took a step forward and Finn stepped between them, putting a hand on Shiri’s shoulder. 

“Whoa! This has gotten out of hand! You two need to calm down,” Finn told them and Shiri glared at Sereia before grabbing her fourth drink and Finn’s hand.

“Let’s go dance. It’s starting to stink here,” she said as she pulled Finn onto the dance floor, ignoring the rest of the group. Finn allowed her to pull them where she wanted them to go until they were hidden in the crowd. 

Shiri turned, unleashing their hand as she took a swig from her glass and wrapped an arm around their neck, pressing up against them. Finn wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her close as they rocked to the music and against each other. Shiri closed her eyes, allowing the music to pulse through her and Finn’s heart to beat against her own.

“How many drinks have you had?” Finn whispered in her ear and she hummed softly, finishing her glass.

“Four and I’m just getting started. Why? You think you can outdrink me?” she smirked, opening her eyes to look at their baby blue ones. 

“I think you need to slow down or you’ll make yourself sick,” they told her and she frowned. 

“I’m here for two reasons: to drink til a puke and to dance till I drop. You can either do it with me or get lost. I don’t have time for party poopers,” she told them, pulling away slightly. They grabbed her waist, pulling her back to them as she squeaked. 

“I’m just worried about you but if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do. And yes, I think I could outdrink you,” they told her and she smirked.

“You’re on.”

_

Shiri was definitely wasted by the end of the night. Keeping up with Finn was hard, she would admit and by her fifteenth drink, she had to tap out before she did puke everywhere. They had continued dancing together, never once leaving the other for another partner as they grinded against each other to the pulse of the music. 

She and Sereia made up by hour two in a drunken, tearful apology as they hugged it out, making Archer roll his eyes at the display. The two then decided to outdrink each other as well as Finn but Sereia tapped out earlier than Shiri. Flora didn’t make it past her first drink before being too tipsy to continue and Shimmer was out drinking them all, except Archer, who wasn’t drinking at all. 

By 3 A.M, The group was efficiently drunk out of their minds and found themselves outside of the club as it closed for the morning. Sereia was stumbling and giggling and Archer picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder. 

“Hey! T-take care of my girl, o-okay?” Shiri hiccuped as Finn held her upright. 

“I’m taking her home now. Finn, you got her?” Archer asked, raising an eyebrow as Finn nodded. “Alright, We’ll see you back at Brightmoon. Shimmer, could you…?” he asked and Shimmer nodded. 

“I’ll be right back to take you home, Shiri, okay?” she said as she grabbed her group and teleported away in a shower of sparkles. Shiri gasped, clapping her hands in delight.

“Sparkly! I love sparkles!” she squealed and Finn laughed at her childishness. 

“You should be drunk more. This is the most relaxed I’ve seen you in a while,” they teased as she turned towards him, smiling lazily as she put a hand on their chest. 

“I looooooove you in this shirt. You look so handsome,” she said, fingering the buttons. Finn blushed down at her. Shimmer appeared back, taking in the scene before clearing her throat.

“Am I interrupting something?” She asked and Finn shook their head quickly before she grabbed them and teleported them to Musicia. They landed in the garden and Shiri lost her balance. Finn quickly grabbed her, keeping her upright. 

“I think I’m gonna stay behind and make sure she gets to bed safely. I’ll crash in a guest room, okay?” they told Shimmer and she cocked an eyebrow before shrugging and teleporting away. Shiri giggled in their arms and they sighed before scooping her up into their arms bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against their shoulder.

“You’re warm. And soft. Pretty kitty,” she mumbled as Finn walked her inside and headed down the hallway to her room. They couldn’t help but unleash some purrs from the compliments and that sent Shiri into another fit of giggles as she pressed her hand into their chest to feel the vibrations.

“Kitty go purr!” she giggled, relaxing back into their embrace as they made it to her room. They opened the door, closing it behind them as they made their way to Shiri’s bed and gently laid her down. Shiri kept her arms firmly wrapped around their neck, whimpering.

“Time to let go, Shiri. I gotta go sleep somewhere else,” they told her and she shook her head, pulling them onto the bed. They fell forward, on top of her and it went quiet as they stared into each other's eyes. 

Shiri leaned up, a hand coming up to cup their face as her lips attached to theirs. Finn froze for a moment before leaning into her hand and kissing her back. They pulled away from each other gently, foreheads pressed together and noses brushing. 

“Shiri…” Finn mumbled softly, hand cupping her neck. 

“Finn… Don’t leave, please…” she murmured, pressing her lips against theirs again, more forceful, more hungry. Finn knew they shouldn’t but it felt so right to have her in their arms. It was intense as if it was something they had been waiting to happen their whole lives. 

It became a blur of rough kisses and tender touches until Shiri flipped them to where Finn was beneath her and she pinned them down, straddling their hips. She trailed kisses along their jaw, sending shudders through their body. 

“Shiri… we shouldn’t…” Finn mumbled and Shiri sat up. Finn had never seen anything more beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips swollen and parted slightly. Her eyes gleamed and her chest heaved with deep breaths of anticipation. 

“Please… Finn, please touch me,” she begged softly and they refused to hold back anymore, flipping them back over so that she was pinned under them and those long legs were wrapped around their hips as they pulled her into a searing kiss as they removed every barrier keeping them apart. 

_

Sun streamed through the windows the next morning, warming Finn’s face as they woke up. They let out a tiny merp, curling around the warmth beside them. Warmth? Finn cracked an eye open. Shiri was curled up against them, buried deep into the blanket, with a peaceful expression on her face. 

Finn sat up immediately, hissing at the pain in their head from drinking too much. They looked back down at Shiri, who just shifted slightly before settling back down. 

“What the fuck did I do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun! Dun! Dunnnnnnn!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A memory, the morning after, confrontations

Chapter 6

_ Princess Prom was the highlight of the decade and Shiri was excited to attend her very first one as a teenager. The last Princess Prom, she had been a toddler and had been unable to attend but this year was different. She was fifteen, she was starting to come into her own, and she was ready to confess to her long-standing crush, Finn. She was going to do it tonight, during the last dance.  _

_ Zimri and her had a long-standing tradition of wearing matching outfits to social events and tonight was no different. All eyes were on them as they descended the staircase in white, just behind their mothers. Shiri wore an a-line halter top dress that flowed down to her feet and was completely covered in sequins. She wore matching white heels and silver bangles on her wrists, her long, black curls pulled back into an elegant bun, silver flowers decorating it. Zimri looked handsome in a white, three-piece suit with similar flowers adorning his lapel.  _

_ Shiri felt stunning, beautiful. Not unlike the awkward teenager she knew herself to be and they came to stop behind their mothers before the throne of Brightmoon, bowing as they were taught.  _

“Reverend Hostess, we come under the ancient rules of hospitality, bringing greetings from Musicia,”  _ Calliope announced for them, standing up to look at Queen Glimmer, who smiled down at them. _

“You are welcome under the ancient rules of hospitality. Leave conflict at the door and please, enjoy the ball. We’ll catch up with you later,”  _ Glimmer whispered the last part and Calliope nodded before Lexie led her away, the twins following suit. Shiri heard someone calling her and looked up to see Sereia and Flora waving to her from the buffet table.  _

“Mama, may I go join my friends?”  _ she asked and Calliope turned around, reaching over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.  _

“Of course, my song. Stay out of trouble. Keep her out of trouble, my music?”  _ Calliope said to Zimri, who nodded and kissed her cheek gently. He turned and gave one to Lexie, who smiled and wrapped an arm around her wife’s shoulders.  _

“Don’t do anything I would do, got it?”  _ she teased, leading Calliope away to join up with their friends as the twins joined their own. _

_ They spent the evening talking, laughing, taking bets, and dancing. Luckily, Shiri got to have the first dance with Finn, who looked super handsome in their mom's red and black tuxedo. It made Shiri’s heart skip a beat when she saw them. She hated when they had to separate to dance with different partners but they always found their way back to each other.  _

_ The way they smiled down at her as if she was the only thing in the entire universe worth looking at… she had to tell them tonight, tell them how she really felt. After a particularly upbeat dance that left her dizzy and breathless, Shiri decided to go freshen up before the final moments of the evening. She excused herself from Finn, giving their hand a small squeeze of reassurance as she left.  _

_ She made her way out of the ballroom, down the familiar hallways of Brightmoon where she spent some of her childhood towards the restroom. She felt like she was burning up, felt heat flush through her body as she stumbled along. Her vision was becoming fuzzy and she shot her arm out to grab hold of something, anything as the world spun around her.  _

_ She doesn’t remember ending up on the floor but the next moment, she was staring up at the ceiling. That’s when the pain hit, so intense that she couldn’t even scream as her sight left her and she was pulled into a vision of the past. Her mother’s, as children, running through the Fright Zone as they laughed together. Fights against bot simulations. Blood, tears, pain.  _

_ She vaguely heard what was happening around her as the visions took hold of her body, making it convulse and twist. A male voice calling to her, calling for help. Hands trying to still her. A female voice. Her mom? She couldn’t tell. Her jaw locked, the pain intensified, her body burned.  _

_ More visions. Her mama, round with a child. Happiness. Love. Was this the past or a future? More blood. Screaming. Then… her body relaxed onto the floor, her sight came back to her and it wasn’t just the ceiling she could see, there were faces around her.  _

_ Zimri, her moms, Aunt Adora, Aunt Catra, all looked down at her with concern, worry, and fear as she struggled to regain her breath. Regain her senses. Her mama, tears streaking down her beautiful cheeks as she held her hand. She could feel the pressure around her fingers.  _

“What the hell was that? Shiri, can you hear us?”  _ Aunt Catra said, moving her finger for Shiri’s eyes to follow. _

“I thought we had more time… we need more time…”  _ she heard her mama sob. Everything felt sore, her eyes hurt trying to follow the finger so she closed them. She heard more footsteps coming towards them and a voice that she hoped she would not hear.  _

“Moms? Is everything okay? Oh, gods, Shiri?!”  _ she heard Finn said as they got closer.  _

“Finn, go back to the party,”  _ she heard Aunt Adora say but felt Finn on the other side of her, grabbing her free hand.  _

“What happened? She was fine ten minutes ago! She just needed to go to the bathroom!”  _ they told the group and she felt arms underneath her as she was lifted into the air. She let out a groan of protest and felt her mom shush her softly, cradling her to her chest.  _

“It’s okay,”  _ Lexie whispered softly into her ear.  _ “Mom’s got you. We’re going home.”

_ She felt her body tense again, felt the heat rising. She opened her eyes painfully, her brown ones meeting her mom’s identical ones as they flashed white and she let out a gasp, back arching in her mom’s tight grip. She vaguely heard yells, felt movement as her mom walked quickly down the hall before the world went black.  _

_

Shiri felt warm and safe, a feeling she had not felt in a long time. She could not remember the last time she woke up feeling so… content. She curled closer into the arms, nuzzling the fur softly, feeling the sunshine against her exposed skin. She never wanted to leave that bed again. 

Her happy bubble was shattered when she felt the arms move and the body sit up and she heard the unmistakable sounds of regret. A whispered  _ what the fuck did I do  _ send her world crumbling down and the safety she had felt a moment before turned into an instinct to protect herself from the pain she could feel bubbling up. 

She opened her eyes, closing them quickly as the light burned them and pain flared in her head from her hangover. A hiss escaped her lips and she felt them turn towards her. She opened her eyes again, slowly, and was rendered breathless by the sight.

Finn, illuminated by the morning sun, baby blue eyes gleaming as they looked down at her, the sheet wrapped around them. The look was familiar, she had seen it all those years ago at Princess Prom. Like she was the only person in the world that mattered. But this time, she knew better. She knew she never mattered to them and she sat up slowly, stretching her limbs gently as she got ready to get out of bed. 

“Shiri? I’m so sorry-” Finn started but Shiri held up a finger, rubbing one of her temples with the free hand as she grabbed a jar from the side of the bed, opening it up and pulling out a flower, tossing it in her mouth to chew before offering the jar to them. 

“Helps with hangovers. Don’t wanna go home to your perfect moms with one,” she told them, keeping her back facing their way as she felt them dip into the pot for the plant. She put the jar up.   
“Can we talk? About last night?” Finn said after a moment and Shiri shook her head.

“What’s there to talk about? We had sex, it was amazing and now you regret it. That’s fine. Could you have your pity party somewhere else though? I have a long day ahead,” she told them, hoping to compose her face before she faced them again. She felt arms wrap around her waist, a chin resting on her shoulder as she tensed, feeling their breath tickle her ear.

“I don’t regret anything. I don’t want you to regret it. You were drunk,” they whispered softly in her ear, planting a kiss right below it. She shuddered, feeling the tension leave her body.

“I don’t regret it. You were drunk too,” she said, feeling them rub their cheek against her bare skin, scenting her. 

“I was surprised when I woke up. I don’t want to hurt you, ever. I’m sorry if I gave any impression that I regretted what we did,” they mumbled as they gave her a quick nip on her shoulder. Shiri’s resolve broke and she turned to face them, pouncing, pushing them back on the bed. 

“You didn’t hurt me. It was… amazing. And I could go again if you’re up for it,” she whispered against their lips and was satisfied when she was pulled down to join them.

_

She finally rolled out of bed later that afternoon, after giving Finn a lingering kiss as they snuck out of her balcony window. She felt like she was walking on clouds, elated and giddy. There was a pleasant soreness in her legs and she admired the various hickeys and bite marks that marred her skin as her bath ran. 

As she soaked, she thought about them. Their hands, their lips, their eyes. She even admitted to herself that the attraction she had felt for them had never subsided, not even after these many years. Truly, nothing could ruin her perfect day.

Not even her family, as she joined them in the library for a late, afternoon tea. Everyone noticed the shift in her demeanor, the normally withdrawn woman almost skipping in to take her seat beside Halina and Nicaise, who played at Halina’s feet. Zimri and Marmoris shared a concerned look as Lexie raised her eyebrow, watching her daughter fix her tea with a rare smile on her face. 

“What’s gotten you so happy today, my song?” she asked, taking a sip from her cup as Shiri shook her head. 

“Nothing, mom. It’s just a beautiful day and I get to spend it with my family, is all,” Shiri said with a smile, drinking from her cup. 

“Bullshit! Something happened between yesterday and today to put you in such a good mood. Are you on drugs? Are you still drunk? Did you sleep with someone?” Zimri shot off in rapid-fire as Halina shook her head, handing Nicaise a cookie.

“It’s times like these that I’m glad he can’t hear and I barely can. Seriously, what’s wrong?” Halina asked, turning to her older sister, who frowned. 

“Geez! Can’t a girl just be happy?! I wasn’t aware it was a crime,” she grumbled and Lexie laughed, placing a gentle hand over her daughters. 

“It’s just a pleasant surprise, song. It’s rare that we have you so happy. It’s a nice change,” Lexie reassured her. 

“Oh! Mom! Archer asked to escort me to Princess Prom this year. May I attend with him?” Halina perked up and Shiri snorted, sitting down her cup. 

“No, you may not,” she told her sister and Halina frowned. Marmoris muttered a curse as he ducked his head, feeling the fight start to brew between the sisters. 

“Last I checked, you weren’t my mom. I believe I was talking with her, sis,” Halina scolded. 

“Why do you think Archer should not escort her? He’s a prince, he’s very polite, we’ve known him for years, ever since he was born. Give me one good reason why he shouldn’t,” Lexie asked Shiri, who grabbed a scone. 

“First, I know the kind of people he’s been with. Second, I think there’s something going on between him and Princess Sereia. Third, he’s my age, at least seven years older than she is. It’s not a good match and I won’t allow it,” Shiri said matter-of-factly.

“You’re being unreasonable, sis. He’s a nice guy. He’s been nothing but sweet and caring, he even brought me a book for my birthday, A History of the Kingdom of Musicia. He likes me, maybe could even love me. I know I’m already head over heels. I think it’s true love, like what mom and mama had,” Halina smiled, a little dreamily and Shiri snorted.

“What do you know about true love? You’re just a child,” she told her and Halina glared at her.

“More than you! All you know how to do is push people away and keep up your walls. You don’t know anything about love because you never allow yourself to feel it! All you ever want to feel is your next drug high and someone between your legs!” 

“Girls! That’s enough!” Lexie said and Shiri stood abruptly, knocking over her teacup. 

“Love makes you weak! There is no such thing as true love, Halina. Grow up. It is a silly tale they tell us when we are kids so we can have hopes for the future! Why tie yourself to someone only to watch them die?! Did you forget what happened to mom when mama died?!”

“I didn’t forget! I’ve never forgotten! I was there! Where were you?!” Halina said, standing up as well. 

“I was running this kingdom while she wallowed in her “true love”! I was trying to protect you! I was trying to make sure you had some semblance of childhood again! I kept everything afloat because I didn’t let love make me weak!”

“You’ve done none of that for me! You’ve only ever kept me from what I truly wanted. I’ve had to indulge in your childish fantasies for far too long! You’re killing yourself and you won’t drag me down with you! Stay the hell out of my life!”

The glassware on the table shattered, causing everyone but Shiri to flinch away from the table quickly. Lexie quickly picked Nicaise off the floor. Shiri took a deep breath through her nose, keeping her gaze steady at Halina before turning and walking towards the library doors.

“Oh, yea! Runaway! That’s all you’re good at doing! Running from everything! You ran from the funeral, you ran from your duties as queen, you ran from your feelings and you’re running now since it’s too hard to face!” Halina taunted, Lexie, grabbing her shoulder angrily. 

“That’s enough, Halina! What’s gotten into you?” Lexie demanded. 

But Shiri had stopped, clenching her fists angrily as she tried to regain control of herself. The drugs were supposed to prevent things like this from happening but she could feel herself slipping, they weren’t being as effective anymore. 

“Shiri?” Zimir said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He felt the faint trembling, knowing tears were not far behind. 

“You heard her. I’m to stay out of her life. When she gets hurt, it’s your problem, not mine,” she said softly before shrugging off his hand and walking out of the room. 

_

Finn had tried their best to sneak back into Brightmoon, hoping to avoid detection. That was not the case since their mom Catra was just as sneaky as they were and had managed to corner them in the hallway as they slipped past the guards. 

“Where have you been, Finn? We were worried sick!” she asked them, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at them. Nala peeked around, sticking her tongue out at them. 

“I went out with everyone last night, I made sure Shiri got home safely and I crashed in a spare room. Geez, mom, I’m old enough to go out on my own,” they told her, mimicking her posture. She narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, yea? What’s that on your neck?” she smirked and they quickly rushed a hand up to cover their neck, eyes wide.

“Nothing! I got into a fight!” they lied and Catra laughed.

“There’s nothing on your neck. But now I know something happened. Let me guess, you spent the morning keeping a certain princess company?” she suggested, wiggling her eyebrows and Finn flushed. 

“You’re so embarrassing! It wasn’t like that!”

“Wasn’t like what?” they heard and turned to see Adora come up the hallway. Nala ran over to her mom, who scooped her up into her arms.

“Finn was keeping a princess company!” she tattled and Adora looked at Finn, eyebrows raised in question.

“I was making sure Shiri made it home safe and I crashed there. It’s no big deal! You guys are making it a big deal!” they argued. 

“Your child was definitely doing more than making sure she was safe,” Catra supplied and Adora frowned. 

“You need to be careful, Finn. Shiri is very powerful and dangerous if crossed. You say or do the wrong thing, this whole mission blows up in our faces before we even get started,” she warned and Finn rolled their eyes.

“Shiri wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’ve known her for years! I’m not in any danger, mom,” they told her and noticed the look their moms shared. 

“I hope you’re right… I don’t like to think that she would purposely hurt you,” Adora told them. 

“Mom? What happened to her? She’s… different. She’s always guarded, always careful, like one slipup could cost her everything. I remember something happened to her at the last Princess Prom but no one ever told me what. This Shiri is different from the Shiri I knew.”

“It’s not our problem to tell. I can say that she had managed it but then Calliope passed away… She has suffered a lot recently, she carries tremendous responsibility and we need to make sure she stays safe,” Catra supplied and Finn sighed, nodding. 

“Nothings going on between us. She’s my friend and I care about her. Trust me?” they told their moms, who hesitated, obviously not believing them but wanting to trust them. 

“If you say nothing is happening… then we’ll take your word for it,” Adora told them. “Now, are you hungry? We should grab lunch.”

Finn nodded, following his mom’s along through the hallways of Brightmoon to the kitchen to grab lunch. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of these revelations? What would you like to see happen?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiri has some major talks with her mom and Finn, she misses her sister

Chapter 7

Shiri laid in her window seat, wrapped up in a blanket and hugging an old, stuffed whale, back facing the room as she stared out over the city. She always loved this view, watching the bustle of activity was relaxing and she needed to relax right now. The morning bliss had faded away to tension and pain and she had wanted to take an extra dose of her drugs, to suppress the bubble of power she felt swelling within her but she resisted. She needed to make the vials last as long as possible. 

She heard a knock at her door but didn’t bother to answer, knowing whoever was outside it would come in either way. After a few moments, the door opened and footsteps padded through the room, very light, so it couldn’t be her brother, brother-in-law, or godfather. She felt the body sit at the edge of the window bench and heard a soft sigh.

“Shiri… we need to talk about today,” her mother said softly and Shiri shook her head, refusing to look at her.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Everything that needed to be said was said. Just leave me alone,” Shiri murmured, burying deeper into the blanket.

“We used to talk all the time. I miss those days. Where you would curl up on my lap after a hard day and I would brush your hair, like I would do your mama’s… you had such beautiful hair…”

“Those days are over, mom. They’ve been over for years. I can’t trust you to pick me up when I fall, I can’t trust anyone.” 

“It shouldn’t be like that. I should be the one person you trust with everything, you used to trust me with everything…”

“Until you abandoned us after mama died. We needed you… I needed you and you checked out. I had to run this kingdom, I had to take care of my siblings, it was all on me. I trusted you to take care of us and you let me down. How can I trust you now, mom?” Shiri asked and Lexie heard the pain, the vulnerability in her daughter's voice. 

“Come here, my song. Please?” Lexie asked, scooting back so her back was to the window. Shiri sat up slightly, looking apprehensive. Lexie held out her arms and, like a small child, Shiri crawled over and rested her head in her mother’s lap, keeping the stuffed whale close. Lexie grabbed the blanket, pulling it over her daughter's body before gently stroking her hair. 

“I’m sorry… for what I said earlier… I know you just missed mama…” Shiri said after a few minutes of silence, slowly relaxing under her mother’s touch as the older woman worked her fingers through the short, black strands. 

“I should be apologizing. I don’t think I ever did after what happened. You were right, I let love make me weak… until I remembered a stronger love I had. She never left us. I see her in your smile, I hear her in Halina’s laughter, I feel her in Zimri’s music, I even smell on her Nicaise. I know a part of her lives on and that helped me remember that I could go on without her. It hurts, it will never stop hurting, but she would not want me to keep living in the past.”

“Mom… I don’t trust you and that’s been hurting me. Just… give me time? I learn to trust again?” Shiri asked and her mother paused, hand hovering over her head for a moment before resuming its strokes.

“Of course. Take all the time you need. Should we set up some therapy with Perfuma? I think it would help you a lot.”

“Noooooo! I’m fine. I don’t need therapy, just time.”

“Alright! Alright! I won’t push the therapy thing. How about we make sure to set aside some time for us to spend together? Just the two of us, like we used to do,” Lexie told her and Shiri nodded, closing her eyes. 

“I would like that… spending time with you. Hey, mom?”

“Yes, my song?” 

“Can you sing to me? I miss hearing your voice…” 

“Of course, my song. How about your mama’s lullaby, hmm?” Lexie continued to stroke her hair as she started singing softly. 

_ Sun goes down and we are here together _

_ Fireflies glow like a thousand charms _

_ Stay with me and you can dream forever _

_ Right here in my arms, tonight _

Shiri relaxed completely, allowing herself to start drifting off. Her mother’s voice was always magic, just like her mamas.

_ It’s magic when you are here beside me _

_ Just close your eyes and let me hold you tight _

_ Everything that I could ever need is _

_ Right here in my arms, tonight _

Shiri’s breath evened out as she fell asleep and Lexie kissed her head softly, smiling. 

“Give Halina a little time as well. She’ll come around in a few days and apologize,” she whispered softly.

______________________________________________________________________________

Except Halina never did. Anytime the two sisters saw each other in the hallways, Halina would walk the other way to avoid Shiri. A few days of this and Shiri thought she was just being a brat but after a week, she realized that Halina was genuinely pissed at her. It filled her stomach with dread. 

The nights were lonely with Halina in bed beside her, lonelier than she had felt in years. She always left her sister’s side of the bed open, in case she changed her mind, but she never did. That side of the bed was always cold and empty come morning. After a week or so, Shiri broke down. 

That’s how Finn found her one night as they climbed up the side of the palace using the vines, hopped onto her balcony, and slid into the room. Even in the dark, they could see everything clearly. They noticed the curled-up figure on the bed and heard the unmistakable sobs coming from the huddled form. 

“Shiri?” they whispered softly as they approached the bed. Shiri buried her head in the pillow, stifling her sobs, trying to regain control. 

“Are you okay?” they asked, touching her shoulder gently. She took a shaky breath, hiccuping as she turned her head to look at them. They noticed the red-rimmed eyes and immediately climbed into the bed behind her, wrapping their arms around her waist.

Shiri bit her lip, holding back her cries as Finn held her, curling around her protectively. Their tail came up and wrapped around her wrist. 

“You don’t have to tell me what happened but I’m going to hold you until you are okay, however long it takes. This is your safe space, you can cry, you can scream, you can do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better but I will not leave you. It’s okay to be vulnerable, Shiri. You don’t have to be strong all the time.”

This caused Shiri’s sobs to come back full throttle, they racked her body, leaving her trembling. Finn just tightened their grip, held her close, buried their face into her hair as she sobbed. She fell apart in their arms and they held her together until the tears ran dry, her body stopped trembling, and the only movements they felt were her hiccups. 

They laid together like that for hours, it seemed. Finally, Shiri flipped over, facing Finn and caressing their cheek gently. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, voice thick from crying. Finn stared into her eyes, placing a hand on her cheek similar to hers. 

“I wanted to see you… I missed you,” they murmured, glad she couldn’t see them in the dark. She didn’t say anything, instead closing the distance to kiss them gently. It was soft, mixed with salty tears yet sweet. They kissed her back, hoping beyond hope she could feel everything they couldn’t say, shouldn’t say. 

“I know what you missed,” she whispered softly against their lips, moving to hover over them as she started trailing kisses down their jaw, their neck, their collarbone. Finn frowned at what she said, gently pushing on her shoulders to move her away.

“Shiri… you’re upset. We can’t do this,” they told her and watched as more tears glistened in her eyes.

“Please… Please, please, please,” Shiri begged, hating feeling so weak and raw in front of someone. “I hate feeling like this. I don’t want to feel like this anymore, I want to feel… Please, Finn… Please help me feel something else!” 

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her cheeks heated up with embarrassment as she sat there, straddling their lap, feeling vulnerable. Finn sat up, wrapping their arms around her waist and placing a gentle kiss on her sternum. 

“Okay… whatever you need, I’m here for you,” they conceded and Shiri let out a shuddering sigh of relief and pulled them back into a kiss, releasing a small hum from her chest.

_

They laid entangled in each other all morning, not knowing where one’s limbs started and the others ended. Shiri kept her head on Finn’s chest as they lazily stroked her back, occasionally sending shudders up and down her spine. They were quiet, just basking in the morning sun and the afterglow of sex. 

“Shiri?” Finn said softly, eliciting a hmmm from their partner. “What is this? What are we?” 

Shiri scrunched her eyebrows, drumming her fingers lightly on their stomach. “We’re… friends… who do things together. We’re destressing and… having fun… right?” She moved her arms to fold them on top of their chest and propped her chin up to look at them. They smiled at her, brushing some hair from her face.

“I’m having fun, I hope you are,” they smirked and she blushed, nodding.

“I am. I never would have thought I would get the almighty Finn into my bed, though. How far you have fallen,” she teased and Finn snorted.

“I fell into bed with you but I wouldn’t say it was a bad thing. I would wager that it was something we both wanted to do for a while,” they told her. 

“I used to have a huge crush on you when we were kids,” she admitted and Finn raised an eyebrow at her.

“Used too? Are you saying you don’t still have a crush on me? I’m pretty awesome,” they bragged and Shiri sat up, wrapping the blanket around herself as she rolled her eyes.

“Who in their right mind would ever like you! You’re so embarrassing!” she said as she threw a pillow at their face. Finn caught it, laughing as they sat up as well. 

“Admit it! You like me, Shiri! Maybe even loveeee me!” they teased and she groaned, hitting them with another pillow.

“I don’t like you! It was a stupid crush! Everyone had one on you! I had a lot of competition! Ugghhh, I’m so over it anyways!” 

Finn raised an eyebrow, cocking their head to the side as they watched her. “Are you lying or is it because of the person you’re with now? You mentioned them at the club the other night,” they asked, referencing Alejandro. She stiffened, clutching the sheet tighter around her. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not with anyone,” she lied and Finn snorted.

“You’re lying. You told me the other week when we were at the club in the Crimson Waste. Bragged about your man getting jealous at watching us dance.”

“What?! That was you?! Oh, my gods!” she hid her face in her hands, going red hot with disbelief and embarrassment.

“So… who is he? Seems like he’s my competition,” Finn teased her and she jerked her head up in horror, shaking her head.

“There’s no competition! You can’t compete with him. He’ll…” she bit her tongue to stop herself from continuing. Finn frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, I was joking. There’s no competition if you don’t want it. I guess you can have your cake and eat it too? Or however, that saying goes.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt… Maybe this is a mistake, we should stop seeing each other,” she suggested and Finn scooted closer, grabbing her legs and pulling her towards them so that they wrapped, loosely, around their waist and they wrapped their arms around her. 

“What do you want?” they asked, resting their forehead against hers so that they were staring at each other’s eyes. They could never get over how beautiful her brown eyes looked in the sunlight. “If we end this, it won’t stop me from being there for you. You can’t get rid of me again. I’m not afraid of anyone.”

She ran her fingers through their blonde locks, moving her hand down to scratching behind their ear, eliciting soft purrs. “I want… is it selfish that I want you but I can’t leave him?”

“Is he hurting you? Blackmailing you? If something is going on, you can tell me. I can help you,” Finn whispered against her lips and she closed her eyes, contemplating. She wanted to tell them. She wanted to come clean about Alejandro and the drugs hiding in her bathroom, about her powers, her fears, her mama. 

“It’s not that simple… I put myself in this situation and I can’t leave. And I can’t tell you why. You’ll think differently of me and I want you to always see me like this. Just some silly girl who fell into bed with you.”

“You’re not some silly girl. You’ve never been just some silly girl to me. The night you left, at Princess Prom all those years ago, was the hardest thing I had to go through. I lost my best friend that night and I never knew why. I would not believe how happy I was to see you all those weeks ago at that club. You see… I used to have a crush on you too.”

“You did not,” she chuckled softly, planting a soft kiss on their nose. 

“I did so. You were always the most beautiful creature to walk Etheria to me. You still are…”

“Finn… are you… trying to admit something to me?” she asked, feeling breathless. “Because if you are, you should stop. I’m not that girl anymore… I’m not someone you should waste your love and affection on. I can’t… give it back to you. I can’t love you the way you deserve to be loved. Besides, I kinda hate your mom.”

“Then I won’t confess completely. I’ll wait until the day you feel like you can give back love. I’ll hold out hope that you can feel for me the same way I can feel for you. Until then, we can stay like this. Wrapped up in each other, naked, happy, and definitely… not in love.” 

“Yea… totally not in love.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Credits to Right Here in My Arms from Barbie and the Island Princess 
> 
> Also! They are so totally NOT in love, right? Please don't hurt me!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halina recounts the events that led to her mother's death and reveals a secret about Shiri

Chapter 8

Halina was refusing to talk to Shiri. She knew she was being childish, that this was something that they could work out together but Halina was beyond fed up with her. Shiri was selfish and didn’t want Halina to be happy, which is what Halina had convinced herself. If Shiri had to be miserable, she was going to make everyone around her miserable. 

It had probably been two to three weeks since their fight. This was the longest fight they had been in, even longer than the time Halina ‘borrowed’ Shiri’s favorite heels when they were younger. Halina did miss sleeping beside her sister, they had a routine, Shiri always slept by her good ear cause her steady breathing calmed her down after nightmares. 

The nightmares were the worst part of sleeping alone. She was exhausted from the lack of sleep, bags were starting to form under her eyes. Halina found herself dozing in the library one afternoon, curled up in a comfy, overstuffed chair with her legs tucked underneath her. Nicaise was with their mom, giving her the free time to do what she wanted. 

She didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep until she felt a blanket be tucked around her. She dropped her book, her eyes shooting up as Archer held up his hands, smiling. She hadn’t heard him, her good ear facing down into the arm of the chair. She gave him a small smile back, lifting her head slightly.

“I’m sorry I woke you. Your mom told me you were in here and I was hoping to spend some time together but if you’re tired, you can sleep instead,” Archer told her and she shook her head, adjusting so she was sitting up better but keeping the blanket around her. 

“No, it’s fine. I wasn’t planning on sleeping, I just got comfy…” she yawned and Archer laughed at her, taking a seat a chair opposite of her. 

“You look like you haven’t slept well in a while. Are you still fighting with Shiri? You should just make up already so you can sleep,” he told her and Halina shook her head, frowning. 

“No. She was wrong and being paranoid. She doesn’t know anything and I won’t apologize to her until she apologizes to me first.”

“So stubborn, you remind me of my mom and sister. You need to take better care of yourself, Hallie.”

“I am… I sleep just fine… when I don’t have nightmares,” Halina mumbled, placing a hand over her bad ear. She had worn her hair up today, which was rare since she didn’t like people looking at the scarred lump of flesh that used to be an ear. Archer had noticed but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable about the deformity. 

“What do you have nightmares about, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

She gave him a sad smile, moving her hand away from her ear, giving it a little tap with her finger. “The day I lost this… and my mama. The day everything changed…” 

“What happened… everyone has been so tightlipped about her… It’s like they try to forget Aunt Calliope ever existed…”

“It’s easier to forget than to remember something so tragic… It wasn’t pretty what happened… I can still feel her blood on me…” 

“If it’s too hard to talk about, you don’t have to. I won’t make you,” Archer told her and Halina scooted over in her chair some, patting the extra space.

“Just… stay by my side while I tell it?” she offered and Archer hesitated before coming over, taking up the available space. Halina wiggled around some before getting comfortable, her back against his front as they angled themselves. Archer wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulder. 

Halina took a deep breath before starting. “I was fifteen… we were heading to Brightmoon for the day to have tea with your mom and sister…”

/Flashback\

_ “ _ I wish you’d wait until after having the baby, love. Glimmer and Shimmer will still be in Brightmoon until then _ ,” Lexie tried to reason with Calliope, who was waddling around from her large belly as she helped the maids set up the skiff. Halina was bouncing on the balls of her feet, too excited to keep still. _

“I’m fine, my love. I’ve been telling Glimmer I would come to have tea with her for months, Hallie wants to see Shimmer, and I need to do business in Brightmoon anyways. This gang problem in the Whispering Woods is not going to solve itself,”  _ Calliope told her, stopping to turn towards her wife. Lexie looked worried, biting her lip. _

“You’ve already told Adora about the problem. She’s off-planet right now anyway, there’s not much business to do. You should stay home, rest,”  _ Lexie whispered, closing the space between them as much as she can with her belly in the way. She placed her hands on either side of the belly. “ _ Your ankles are swollen. I can run you a bath with your favorite bubbles, rub your back, maybe do a little more,”  _ she whispered suggestively, kissing her neck softly. Calliope giggled, wrapping her arms around her wife’s neck. _

“Mmm, that sounds so nice… Maybe tonight? Have the bath waiting for me?”

“Of course. And… your favorite cake as well,”  _ Lexie teased and Calliope gasped, smiling. _

“Double chocolate with cookie crumble? You are too good to me, my wife.”

“Anything for the mother of my children. Gotta make sure my son comes out fat and happy,”  _ Lexie said as she got to her knees and kissed Calliope’s belly.  _ “You hear that? You are going to be the fattest, happiest baby in all of Etheria. You take it easy on your mama while she’s gone today.”

“Mom! Can we go now?!”  _ Halina yelled from the skiff, taking a seat. Zimri shook his head, coming down the stairs to see his mama and sister off.  _

“Yes, sweetheart. I’m coming,”  _ Calliope said as Lexie stood up and led her over to the skiff. Calliope stopped in front of Zimri, caressing his cheek gently. He easily towered over her but always leaned down when she stopped.  _

“Keep your mom from worrying about us, my music? We’ll be back by nightfall,”  _ Calliope asked him and he nodded, kissing her cheek.  _

“I’ll try, mama. You know how she gets. Don’t forget I have a date with Marmoris tonight so I won’t be here when you get back,”  _ Zimri reminded her as he helped her get onto the skiff.  _

“I hope you’re going to put a ring on his finger soon. I like that man, he would make a great son-in-law,”  _ Calliope teased as she took her seat beside Halina, resting a hand on her belly.  _

“Soon, Mama. I promise,”  _ Zimri told her, stepping back and wrapping an arm around Lexie’s shoulders, who wrapped her arm around his waist.  _ “Give our best to everyone in Brightmoon!”

“I love you, Hallie. Be good for your mama. Calliope, I love you. Be safe, promise?”  _ Lexie said as the drive started up the skiff.  _

“I promise! I’ll see you tonight!”  _ Calliope blew her a kiss as the skiff took off out of the city.  _

_ _ _

_ An explosion had sent them flying while they were in the Whispering Woods. It wasn’t a normal explosion, the noise it had given off had been a sonic pulse and when Halina had come too, she only heard ringing in her ears. All she saw was the sky above her, it was spinning as she slowly sat up, her head pounding.  _

_ Halina saw smoke and flames, bodies moving around. She turned her head as the ringing slowly stopped and noise started coming back to one ear. She heard a scream and turned her head to see her mama, holding a large stick as someone ran at her with a spear, puncturing her side with it.  _

_ Halina screamed as the assailant pulled the spear up, turning towards her as they got distracted. It gave Calliope enough time to swing the stick, knocking the assailant off balance long enough to get them to the ground. Calliope got on top of the, grabbing a large rock, and bashed their head in. Halina proceeded to vomit at the sight, coughing.  _

_ When she looked back up, her mama was slumped onto the ground, heaving heavily. Halina crawled towards her, crying. Halina managed to roll her mama on her back and sobbed at the sight. She was covered in blood, it was pouring out of her ears, nose, and mouth. She was holding the side of her belly, where blood was gushing the worse.  _

_ “ _ Mama? Mama, can you hear me?”  _ Halina asked her and got no response. Calliope gritted her teeth from the pain, everything silent around her as the ringing had stopped. She cried out as she felt a contraction hit her and looked up to see Halina’s worried face above her. _

“Hallie…”  _ she whispered softly, reaching a bloody hand up to touch her daughter's cheek.  _ “I can’t hear anything so listen to me, okay? It’s going to be okay, my calmness. I need you to nod your head if you can understand me.”

_ Halina nodded her head quickly, keeping a hold of her mother’s hand on her cheek.  _

“I’m having contractions. Your baby brother is coming. I’m bleeding really badly too… Okay? Is the driver alive?”  _ Calliope said, trying to keep her voice steady and tears held back. She needed to stay calm and strong for Hallie. Halina looked around, spotting the driver. She gave her mother’s hand a squeeze before crawling away from her to check on him.  _

_ She shook his shoulder gently and he instantly sat up, coughing. She waved her hand in front of his face, grabbing his attention.  _

“Can you hear me?”  _ she asked and he blinked at her before nodding slightly, pointing to one ear. She let out a small sigh of relief and then pointed to her mama. _

“The queen is badly hurt. She’s gone into labor, we need to get her back to the city. How far are we?” 

“At least ten miles away… we’ll never make it,”  _ he told her and she stood up, staggering as pain shot up her ankle.  _

“Let’s uhh… try to get her as close as possible… We can stop when she needs it… We need to get help,”  _ Halina told him and heard her mother cry out in pain. She went back over to her, hobbling, and knelt down by her side.  _

“I’m here, mama. What do I do?”  _ she sobbed. Her mother was getting paler and Halina pulled off her shirt, moving her mama'ss hand to press it firmly against her side to help slow down the bleeding.  _

“Hallie… I know this is scary… Please, save your brother. If it comes down to me or the baby, save the baby, please,”  _ Calliope cried, putting a hand over her mouth to stop her sobs. She didn’t even see Halina shake her head vigorously. The driver came over, having created some sort of gurney from two large sticks and a spare blanket from the skiff.  _

“It’s going to be easier if we drag her on this instead of carrying her…”  _ he told her and Halina nodded, watching as he adjusted it on the ground and took Calliope underneath her shoulders, slowly dragging her onto the blanket. She screamed in pain, sobbing until he got her down onto the gurney.  _ “I’m so sorry, my queen! I’m so sorry!”  _ He kept apologizing.  _

“You’re both going to be okay, mama. We’re going home and mom will know what to do. Just hold on, please,”  _ Halina told her and grabbed one of the sticks as the driver grabbed the other. It elevated Calliope up off the ground some and they slowly started dragging her in the direction of the city.  _

_ _ _

_ They had to stop constantly. Halina’s ankle was bad off, she knew she was making it worse by limping on it and Calliope would have another contraction that would cause them to pause so she could breathe through it. She was getting weaker the longer they went. They had been walking for hours and felt no closer to the city.  _

“Hallie? Hallie, stop… I have to push…”  _ she heard her mother call weakly and she and the driver set the gurney so she could circle around and be by her mama’s side. She took her mama’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly.  _

“I need to push… You need to be down there to get him… okay? I’m so tired…”  _ Calliope mumbled softly and Halina nodded, moving down to her legs. She looked up at the driver. _

“Hold her hand? She needs the reassurance,”  _ Halina told him and he nodded, kneeling down beside Calliope and taking her hand just like Halina did, squeezing it. Halina helped her spread her legs, thankfully she had chosen to wear a dress that day. She then tapped her leg one and made a pushing motion to tell her mama to push and then tapped the leg twice to tell her mama when to stop.  _

_ Calliope nodded in understanding, taking a deep breath as Halina waited for her next contraction. When she saw her mama’s face contrast in pain, she tapped her leg once and her mama started pushing. Calliope gritted her teeth, grunting loudly as she squeezed the driver’s hand. Halina counted to ten and then tapped her mother’s leg twice, allowing the queen to relax back with a sob. _

_ Halina rubbed her leg reassuringly and they repeated this process a few times until she could see the head crown. She squeezed her mama’s leg, smiling. _

“I see his head! Keep pushing!”  _ she yelled, tapping her leg twice and her mama let out a cry, pushing as hard as she could until Halina eased the baby out, immediately placing him on her mama’s chest as his cries rang out through the woods. Calliope sobbed along with him, feeling his cries on her chest as she wrapped an arm around him.  _

“Hey, baby,”  _ she cried, looking at him.  _ “Oh gods, you’re so beautiful… you look like your mom. Beautiful boy,”  _ she whispered, kissing his head.  _

“I don’t have anything for the umbilical cord…”  _ Halina told the driver, who frowned.  _

“We either keep them attached or rip it… both are dangerous and we’re still a good five miles away…”

_ Halina’s breath hitched, mind reeling with what she should do. Keep them attached or rip the cord…  _

“Rip it… _ ” she heard her mama whisper and looked up hopefully. Calliope was staring down at the cord, eyes growing glassy.  _ “You need to rip it… I’m dying, it’ll hurt him…” 

“You’re not dying! Not on my watch!”  _ Halina gritted out, grabbing the cord and doing her best to rip it apart, detaching mother and son from each other. It was messy and hard but she managed to get it done. As she finished, she heard the familiar sound of an approaching skiff and looked up to see one heading in their direction.  _

“Take the baby…”  _ Calliope told her as the driver waved down the skiff, screaming. Halina shook her head and Calliope held him out to her, arms shaking.  _

“Please… take your brother… I can’t… I’m…”  _ her head lulled back and Halina quickly grabbed the baby, holding him tightly to her chest. The skiff stopped, two musicians disembarking as the driver explained what happened and they helped load everyone onboard. The baby started crying again and Halina hummed softly, keeping them pressed against her chest so they could feel the vibrations as the skiff headed back to Musicia. _

_ _ _

“Callie?! Calliope?! What happened?!”  _ Halina heard her mom scream as the skiff stopped at the palace and the two samaritans helped unload Calliope, carrying her inside. Halina followed after quickly, keeping the baby clutched to her. _

“We were attacked in the woods! Those gang members' mama was so worried about using some kind of explosive device that took out our hearing. She can’t hear at all, the driver and I have partial hearing. One of them stabbed her with a spear, she had to deliver early…” 

“Where’s the healer?! Get them quickly!”  _ her mom demanded quickly as they led them into their bedroom, helping the samaritans settle Calliope down onto the bed. Calliope was too weak to even mutter out a complaint, completely caked in dirt and blood, her skin paler than Lexie had ever seen before.  _

_ Lexie sat beside her, stroking her hair as tears streamed down her cheeks. “ _ It’s okay, baby. I’m here… you’re home now. The healers are coming, they’re going to help you.” 

_ Calliope stared up at Lexie, watching her lips move but not hearing anything. This felt familiar… She took Lexie’s hand into her own, squeezing weakly.  _

“Nicaise… that’s our son's name… He’s going to need his mom now more than ever…”  _ Calliope said softly and Halina came over to the other side of the bed, gently making her way onto it with the baby and laying beside her mama. Lexie shook her head stubbornly. _

“You’re going to be fine! You’re fine, help is coming, my love,”  _ she told her, kissing her softly. Calliope’s breathing started to labor as Lexie pulled away, never letting go of her. _

“My Hallie… my calm after the storm… you were so strong today… I’m so proud of you. Help your mom… help your sister when she becomes queen…” 

“I will, mama… I promise…”  _ Halina sobbed, burying her face into her mama’s shoulder.  _

“Zimri… tell my music I love him… and my song… my Shiri… she’s going to become a wonderful queen… I’m so proud of all of you…” 

“Callie… you promised,”  _ Lexie cried, pressing her wife’s hands against her lips. “ _ We were going to grow old together. Gray hair and everything… It can’t end like this. Not after everything we’ve been through!”

“Lexie… my love… thank you… for the most wonderful life together… thank you for… loving me… for being by my side… as my wife… and queen… thank you… for our four… amazing kids… take care of them… promise me?” 

“I promise! I promise! You were the best thing in my life. I love you so much, I love you more than every star in the damn sky,”  _ Lexie whispered, watching as Calliope’s body relaxed into the bed and her head fell to the side, looking out into the room with glassy eyes. _

“Daddy…? I’m ready… I love you…”  _ she whispered softly, her body completely going slack as her breathing stopped.  _

“Callie…? Callie?! Callie, no!”  _ Lexie screamed and didn’t stop screaming, sobbing violently as she held her wife in her arms.  _

/End of Flashback\

Archer stared, wide-eyed, at the back of Halina’s head as she finished her story, her body having tensed during the retelling. She had started playing with her bad ear as well, trembling gently. 

“That’s… oh gods, Halina… how did you…?” 

“It was my mama’s dying wish that I take care of my siblings… I took care of Nicky when mom lost herself for six months… I take care of Shiri, make sure she doesn’t lose herself…”

“Where was Shiri during all of this?! Why wasn’t she here?!” Archer asked, jumping up to start pacing. Halina stared at him, sad. 

“Shiri… she was born with a powerful gift, something she had been learning to control… she was gone training when this happened…” 

“A gift? Training? You’re not making any sense, Hallie,” Archer told her.

“It’s not that it matters anymore… she doesn’t have the gift anymore. She suppresses it with drugs she gets from her pimp,” Halina told him bitterly, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

“Wait a minute… pimp? Drugs? What is your sister involved in?” Halina looked uncomfortable, rubbing her arms nervously.

“She… I caught her injecting herself with some red liquid once, about a year after mama died… she hadn’t had any visions, we didn’t think anything of it till I caught her. She’s with a very bad man, I don’t know what he does exactly but he supplies her. She’s suppressing her powers, she’s been doing it for about two years now and she swore me to secrecy! She keeps the vials hidden in a cubby in her bathroom!”

“Why are you telling me this…?” Archer asked, kneeling in front of her to take her hands, using a free one to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. She reached her hand up, touching her tear-stained cheeks, unaware she had started crying.

“I don’t know… I guess I’m tired of keeping secrets… and watching her kill herself… How is she going to rule a kingdom if she can’t keep herself together?”

“We’re going to help her… we’ll stage an intervention or something, get her off the drugs. She’s going to be fine, Halina. We won’t allow her to keep doing this to herself,” he reassured her and she nodded, feeling a sob build.

“I… I’ve kept all that in for so long… It feels good to say it…” she whispered before letting out a strangled sob. Archer leaned forward and hugged her gently, rubbing her back as she cried. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .-. I cried writing this


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip down memory lane, the group learns about Shiri's powers

Chapter 9

Finn remembers when they and Shiri were seven. They had climbed up a tree in the garden at Brightmoon and Shiri, brave, fearless Shiri, had climbed up after them, trying to keep up. She had missed a branch and had fallen out of the tree, breaking her wrist. Finn hadn’t been quick enough to catch her and she had gotten hurt. 

They had carried her, crying, to their mom Adora, who had healed her. It had been scary, their moms had wiped away a lot of tears and given them cake as consolidation but Finn remembers having given Shiri a promise. A promise they intended to always keep. 

_ “I’m so sorry I didn’t catch you!” they had told her as they enjoyed their cake.  _

_ “Finn, it’s fine! Auntie Adora fixed me up! See!” she had said as she showed off her healed wrist. “I’m all better!” _

_ “But still… that’s never going to happen again! I will always protect you, I promise.” _

She had just smiled at him, a twinkle in her eyes as she went back to eating her cake. Finn remembered this day as they stood by her vanity, fingers glancing over the silver picture frame of the two of them sitting in that very tree when they were seven. That picture had been taken sometime after she had broken her wrist. 

They looked over the vanity, taking in all the picture frames that littered it among the various bottles and jars of makeup, perfume, and hair products. There was a photo of all the kids splashing in the ocean in Salineas: Them, Shiri, and Zimri holding baby Halina, Shimmer and Archer, Sereia, Flora, and her little sister, Aster. 

Another was of Shiri and Zimri wearing matching outfits at a music festival. They were maybe twelve and wore identical smiles. Another was of the three siblings in Snows on Frosta and Eira’s wedding day, the twins were about twenty, Halina was about thirteen. They were bundled up in fur coats, their Aunt Haevyn and Aunt Eira having arms wrapped around their shoulders. 

There were so many memories sitting on her vanity, all of Shiri’s friends and family smiling out into the room. The biggest photo was a family portrait. It had to have been taken right before Calliope had passed away because her belly was swollen in the picture. She sat on a chair with Halina sitting beside her. Shiri stood above Halina with a hand on her shoulder while Zimri stood above Calliope in a similar position. Lexie stood in the middle, holding hands with Calliope. They were all dressed in blues and purples, the colors of their runestone and everyone was happy.

“Finn?” they heard a voice and turned around to see Flora standing behind them, frowning. “Are you okay?”

Finn nodded, glancing back at the photos. They gave a small smile before picking up one of them, Shiri, and Flora wearing flower crowns and having a tea party. “Remember this? When we spent a couple of weeks of summer in Plumeria?”

Flora took the photo, eyes growing soft as she looked it over with a nod. “That was the best summer ever. We played in the Whispering Woods, mom would tell us scary stories from her days in the Horde… I miss this,” she said sadly, placing it back where it was while looking over the vanity.

“She missed us… She wouldn’t of kept all these photos otherwise. She’s been in pain all this time and none of us were here to help her! What kind of friends are we?” Flora said with a tremor in her voice and Finn patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“We didn’t know,” they heard behind them and turned, looking at Shimmer who stood in the middle of the room. “She shut everyone out after Aunt Calliope died. Actually, she disappeared for seven years and then shut us all out. How were we supposed to know?”

“We could have checked on her! We didn’t have to let her shut us out! We could have demanded answers! The adults have kept too much from us!” Flora said with determination as Archer and Halina stepped out of the bathroom, Halina holding a bag. 

“They wouldn’t have told you anything. Shiri didn’t want anyone to know what happened after the last Princess Prom…” Halina said as she opened the bag, pulling a vial of red liquid out.

“Are you sure she’s not going to come bursting in here anytime soon?” Shimmer asked, inching closer to get a good look at the vial.

“She’s in Salineas with Sereia. They’re probably getting ready to go out for the night. She won’t be back until early morning,” Halina informed her as Finn took the vial from her, moving the liquid around. 

“What is this stuff? Are you sure she’s been injecting herself with this?” they asked, dubious. Halina nodded.

“It suppresses her powers. Some kind of drug, I’m not sure. She gets it from Alejandro, I know that much…” 

Finn gripped the bottle, rage and jealousy filling them. They hated the thought that Shiri would depend so heavily on scum like Alejandro for something like this. They hated that she depended on this at all. 

“What’s her powers? Aren’t they like everyone else in Musicia?” Shimmer questioned and Halina shook her head. 

“It’s not that simple… Every Musician is born with a set of talents. Some are good at water music, others plant music, and so on… the royal family can manifest multiple talents since they are the most connected to the Heart. But Shiri… she’s not just connected to the Heart-”

The bedroom door opened and Lexie stood there, arms folded over her chest as she glared at the group before her. “She is a part of the Heart. Like… if the Heart was to take a human form, it would be her. She doesn’t draw power from it like we do because she already has that power. A child like that is born every… thousand or so years.”

The group winced at her glare, Halina and Finn hiding the vials as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. 

“What do you mean? She can’t be that powerful! That would surpass the power of She-Ra!” Archer exclaimed and Lexie nodded as everyone looked dumbfounded. 

“How? What powers does she possess? Why is she suppressing them? What happened that night at Princess Prom?” Finn asked and Lexie motioned for everyone to take a seat as she pulled up a chair. Everyone took a seat on the floor, staring up at her. It reminded her of when they were all children and would listen to her stories about the war. 

“She can perform most, if not all of the talents. The thing about children like this is that they usually possess a very special and unique talent that no one else does or very, very few people have. For Shiri… She has visions. She sees the past… the present… and the future. It’s like she has access to the planet’s memory file. But her body can’t handle the visions, they’re a lot for her to take in so her body tries to shut down. It did a lot the first few months, the first night being Princess Prom. She spent seven years down at the Heart of Etheria learning how to control and manage the visions. She had it under control, she was ready to rejoin us and then…” 

“And then mama died… and Shiri had a vision of her death while she was at the Heart. She was too late to stop it from coming true. She had to take the throne for half a year while mom recovered from the loss and she was angry… her powers were out of control, she was out of control…” Zimri filled in, slipping into the room. “She got better after she met Alejandro and started using this drug. She wasn’t the Shiri we knew but she wasn’t magically lashing out anymore.”

“Had to replace all the windows in the ballroom after her yelling match with Aunt Adora…” Halina said, gripping the bag. 

“Why was she so angry with She-Ra?” Shimmer asked, looking up at her Aunt Lexie.

“She blamed She-Ra for Calliope’s death. If She-Ra had been on the planet when everything happened, she could have healed her. If She-Ra had handled the gang problem in the woods, to begin with, there would have been no danger. To Shiri, if She-Ra had done her duty to Etheria like she was created to do, none of this would have happened,” Lexie explained as Zimri came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“On that same note, since She-Ra didn’t perform her duty to Etheria, then there is no need for her. She believes that She-Ra siphons magic from the Heart to fuel her own magic and should return it,” Zimri told them and Finn frowned, shaking their head.

“But mom has her own runestone in the old sword! That doesn’t make any sense!” they argued and Zimri shrugged.

“Where do you think that runestone came from? It’s a part of the Heart that was taken by the First Ones. They created She-Ra as a key to the planet, trying to bypass the natural order the Heart had in place with the kingdom of Musica and the royal family.”

“How do you know all this? None of this information is in any of the history books!” Archer said, glaring up at Zimri in accusation. 

“Shiri told me. She can describe it better but during her time at the Heart, she had access to the planet’s memories. She’s seen its past, its present, and its future. She’s like a walking data file for the Heart. There’s a reason our family is considered the guardians of the Heart! Do you know how much power she carries inside of her? Do you know what would happen if it got into the wrong hands if she was put into the wrong hands?” Zimri told them and Finn gasped, standing up quickly.

“That means that Alejandro and the Desert Rose are trying to control the Heart of Etheria through Shiri! She’s in a lot of danger! We have to help her!” 

“We can’t!” Halina told him, standing up as well. “She won’t listen to us. This drug and her affections for him cloud her judgment! Besides, if we got her to detox, she would be out of control. She hasn’t had to practice controlling the visions or magic in years! It’s like a bomb, building up pressure. We could potentially do more harm than good.”

“We have to try! I promised to always protect her! We have to do something!”

“And we will,” Archer said, standing as well as Flora and Shimmer. “We confront her tonight when she gets back. We talk to her, convince her this is her idea. We can have my mom create a magical barrier for her to detox in. If she magically lashes out, she’ll be contained and won’t hurt anyone. We could pull her out from under Alejandro’s thumb once and for all.”

“I suggest you head back to Brightmoon and get ready. When she returns, I’ll send her your way with some notion about diplomatic relations or something. Please… you guys were her best friends. If anyone can get through to her and stop this, it’s you,” Lexie told them, looking ten years older than she was. The issue had been weighing heavily on her. “I’m getting old… It’s time that she assumed the throne but she can’t until she works through this…”

“Who knows if she ever wants to be queen anymore. She certainly doesn’t act like it,” Zimri commented, helping his mom stand as he looked at the group. “Please… help my sister.”

“We’re going to do everything in our power to help her! She’s our best friend, even if she doesn’t consider us hers anymore,” Flora told him and he nodded. 

“Go on, now!” Lexie told them, shooing them away. “I’ll send her in the morning! You have a lot to do before then!”

The group scattered, Halina giving her mom a kiss on the cheek before taking Archer’s hand and following him out. Lexie sighed as they left, Zimri helping lead them out last. 

“Do you think they’ll be able to help her?” He asked as they traveled down the hallway. 

“I like to hope so… no one is beyond help. We were Horde soldiers before we found the Rebellion. If not… are you prepared to take the crown?” she asked him, looking up at her eldest son. Zimri nodded.

“I’ll do what I have to to protect Musicia, mom.”

“Thank you, my music.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek! Climax is coming!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiri wants out of clubbing but Alejandro won't let it happen so easily

Chapter 10

Shiri and Sereia shared a mirror in the Salineas’ princess’ bedroom, working on their makeup as the moon rose in the sky. This was like a ritual to them, they had done it so many times together in the last two years. Shiri puckered her lips, loving the bright red that stained them. She had chosen to go more conservative tonight, opting for a black halter top jumpsuit with a gold chair around the waist to contrast it, her mama’s Horde pin attached. She matched it with black wedge heels and gold armbands on her upper arms. 

Sereia went with a sexier look, wearing a strapless green sequin dress that stopped mid-thigh matched with strappy gold heels. She wore similar gold armbands and a gold choker, gold chains attaching the armbands to the choker. Her hair fell down her back, sticking straight as she had spent hours with it under the heat. 

“Final touch,” she said and they both stood up, facing each other as she grabbed the perfume bottle to spray them each. That was routine, they always put on the perfume last and they did it together. 

“Girl, I think we look hot!” she squealed, dabbing at the corner of her lip with her pinky gently as Shiri smiled, feeling more reserved than usual. She didn’t really want to go out tonight but Sereia had insisted. Shiri just wanted to spend the evening with Finn in her room. 

“Yea, we look nice,” she commented gently, turning away from the mirror to find her clutch. 

“Stop being such a party-pooper! What’s eating you, song? You never turn down a club night!” Sereia reminded her, turning to look at her friend with a hand on her hip. Shiri shrugged, starting to feel the start of the migraine build behind her eyes. She should have taken the drugs before she left home. 

“Sereia… can I be honest with you?” she asked, looking at her friend, who frowned but sat down. They were never serious together, that was a rule they had established years ago to keep the pressures of royal life from squishing them.

“You know the rule… it must be bad if you’re breaking it.”

“I just… I think my clubbing days are over. I think this is gonna be my final night going out,” Shiri told her, and Sereia’s jaw dropped, floundering like a fish out of water (which she technically was).

“You can’t be serious, song. Clubbing is like our thing! It’s what keeps us relaxed and stress-free from royal life! Why do you want to stop?”

“I’m starting to realize I can’t keep going like this forever. I want… more. They expect me to take the throne one day, I need to clean up my act. Get married, have kids. No one wants to be with a girl who drinks her life away…”

“Okay, who have you been sleeping with?! Because there is no way that Alejandro has convinced you to settle down, not after all this time! Who is giving you such good sex that you want to get married and have babies?” Sereia scoffed and Shiri blushed, looking away.

“I’m not sleeping with anyone! Besides, it’s none of your business!”

“Oh my gods! You are sleeping with someone! Who is it? Is it someone I know?” Sereia shifted to a more gleeful demeanor, jumping up to grab Shiri’s arms and shake her. “Who is it?!”

“Let go of me, fish! You psycho! I’ll take it to my grave!” Shiri squealed, pulling away but laughing. 

“Come on, song! Oooh, is it Shimmer? That girl put a little sparkle in your step?” Sereia wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Shiri snorted, shaking her head. 

“Is it… Flora? She’s had a total crush on you for like forever! Did you tap that? I bet she’s great in bed with those powerful thighs.”

“You’re disgusting! Why am I friends with you? I’m not sleeping with Flora and there is no way she has had a crush on me!”

“Okay! Okay! Geez, you could have at least given the girl a chance. She’s head over heels for you. Wait a minute…” Sereia gasps, putting her hands to her mouth as she stares at Shiri. “You’re sleeping with Finn. You’ve been in love with them since we were kids, there’s no way it’s not them!”

Shiri went redder, looking down at the floor as Sereia screamed, jumping up and down in those flimsy heels. The door flew open and her father, Seahawk, rushed in with a staff, ready to take out whatever was causing his daughter distress.

“What is wrong, my gentle wave?! Who do I need to kill?!” he asked and both girls stared at him before laughing. He looked at them, confused until Sereia went up up and kissed him on the cheek.

“We’re fine, daddy! Shiri was just telling me a scary story! Besides, we’re about to go out on an adventure!” she exclaimed and could hear her mother groaning from down the hallway. She looked up to see a tear in her father's eye as he looked at her proudly.

“That’s my girl! You two go have fun! There is so much adventure out there to partake in! May this be the greatest one so far!”

“Yes, sir!” Shiri saluted him as Sereia grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. 

“We have a lot to talk about tonight!” she whispered as they left.

_

The club in Salineas was vibing, as usual. They had taken up residence at their usual booth and the drinks had started flowing immediately. Shiri was bobbing in her seat with the music as she downed her fourth drink, sighing. 

“Finn must be really good in bed for you to give up club life completely! You know you’re going to miss this!” Sereia commented as she finished her fourth drink as well, waving down the bartender for another round. 

“I’ll miss the music but I won’t miss this. The drinking till I’m sick and the god awful high heels that want to break my neck!” Shiri laughed. 

“How is it going to work though? Aren’t you two just sleeping together? It’s not like it’s anything serious.”

“I know it’s not. But I hope it can be one day. Is it so hard to believe that I’m ready to turn over a new leaf in my life? I already set up therapy sessions with Aunt Perfuma, how gross am I?” Shiri snickered and Sereia shook her head in disbelief.

“What are you going to do about Alejandro? He is not going to be happy he’s losing his number one girl,” she said as she started in on her fifth drink. 

“Yea… I’m dreading that one… I’m hoping to put it off as long as possible,” she said. Sereia looked up and nearly choked on her drink as she grabbed Shiri’s arm, looking frightened.

“I don’t think you can put it off any longer. Guess who just walked in,” she whispered, head motioning towards the door. Shiri looked up, internally groaning as Alejandro and a few of his gang members walked into the club. He looked around before his eyes landed on them and made his way across the room to them. Watching him, Shiri started to remember why she had fallen for him in the first place. Tall, blonde, and handsome… reminded her of a certain magicat she lured into her bed

“Hey, darling. Fancy meeting you here,” Alejandro smirked, sitting beside Shiri as he wrapped his arm around her. She smiled politely, feeling disgusted at the smell of cigarettes and alcohol on his breath. How did she ever find this attractive? That’s right… she was desperate. 

“Just the man I wanted to see, actually,” she purred softly, moving to where she sat on the table in front of him, feet planted on either side of his legs as he manspread. Sereia cleared her throat, getting up and whispering to one of the men accompanying Alejandro before leading him to the dance floor. 

“What can I do for you, doll? You know you have me at your beck and call,” he told her, moving his hand up her leg and resting it on her thigh. She shuddered, feeling gross, but he took it as her feeling pleasure at his touch.

“Look… Alejandro… we’ve had our…. Fun… but it’s time that I… slowed down. Take my duties at home more seriously. I’m ending my clubbing days and… what we have,” she told him and he just blinked at her before laughing, throwing his head back. She laughed nervously as well, wincing slightly as the hand on her thigh tightened. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat yourself, princess?” he said, staring at her intently and it made her shift uncomfortably.

“I’m done. I’m leaving you-” she didn’t get to finish her thought before she was knocked back onto the table, reeling. He had slapped her, hard enough to throw her back and he was now on top of her, hands wrapped around her throat as she struggled to breathe. 

“Nobody leaves Alejandro, you hear me?! You’re mine, princess!” he hissed as she clawed at his hands, shaking her head as tears sprung in her eyes. Nobody was going to help her, everyone knew of him and his gang, they were too afraid. Finally, he released her and she gasped loudly, coughing as his weight lifted off her. 

She was pulled up roughly by the hair, to which she whined in pain and forced off the table, being dragged through the club into the night air. She heard Sereia shouting behind her, trying to get him to stop. She needed to stop, Alejandro would kill her too if she kept it up. She was thrown onto the ground, onto her hands and knees, and looked up at the man before her.

“Where did you think you were going to go, princess? Have you forgotten the deal we made all those years ago? You knew what you were getting yourself into when this started. Besides, who are you going to get your drugs from? No one will sell to you and you know what will happen if you don’t take them,” he smirked, kneeling before her. 

She did know what would happen. She felt it every month when the drug started to fade out of her system. She felt it now, the growing migraine in her head, the uncontrollable magic through her veins. 

“I have a couple of months left… I’ll find someone to sell to me before it’s over,” she said and it earned her another slap in the face, on the same cheek as before. That was going to bruise. She saw Sereia grab his arm to stop him before being tossed away, falling to the ground. 

“You need me! We have a deal! You’re my bitch! Who have you let between your legs, you dirty whore?! Who have you let corrupt your thoughts like this?!” He yelled as he gripped her arms, lifting her to her feet and off the ground, shaking her like a ragdoll. She screamed, crying as she was tossed down again. 

“I have given you everything your heart desired! You wanted to be rid of your powers, I did that for you. You wanted to forget about your tragic past, I helped you forget. You got only the best drugs, best booze, best clubs from me and this is how I am repaid?” he sighed before looking behind him at one of his men. “Bring me a gun.”

“No! You can’t kill her! You’ll start a war with the kingdoms!” Sereia screamed and Alejandro backhanded her, sending her sprawling. 

“I’m not going to kill her, you stupid cow! I’m going to make her repay me in blood. What do you say, Shiri? How about a game of roulette?”

Shiri shook her head, tears and mascara streaking down her cheeks and he forced her to her feet. The man came around, holding out a gun with a six bullet barrel, and opened it, inserting one bullet before loading it and spinning the barrel. 

“You’re going to repay me with blood. We each get a turn shooting at the other. I shoot you, you’re free to go. I’ll even keep supplying you, you will have paid in pain. You shoot me, you don’t leave. I make you my little housewife, you submit to me fully. Do we have a deal? I’ll even let you go first, princess,” he told her, grabbing her hand and placing the gun in it. Shiri’s hand shook, she wouldn’t have been able to aim at him if she wanted to. But, she tried and pulled the trigger. The gun clicked, no bullet. 

Alejandro laughed, taking the gun from her hands and aiming at her. He pulled the trigger and it clicked again, no bullet. Shiri flinched at the click, sobbing as the gun was handed back to her. 

“Four more rounds, one is a bullet! I’m either going to buy you with my blood or you’ll repay your debts with your own! Aren’t you having fun, princess?” he mocked at her sobs as she shakily aimed at him, nearly dropping the gun. She pulled the trigger, another click with no bullet. 

He quickly took it from her, aiming at her shoulder. She stared at him, hyperventilating as he pulled the trigger. There was no click this time, there was a boom and she felt pain rip through her shoulder as she screamed, clutching at it. She felt the blood seep through her fingers, pulled them away to see it coating her hand. She heard Alejandro laugh and Sereia cry as her vision darkened momentarily. She fell back onto her ass, hyperventilating as she moved her hand back to put pressure on the wound. 

She looked up to see Alejandro standing above her and he knelt down, moving her hand from the wound only to push his finger into it. She screamed bloody murder at the pain before he pulled his hand away, putting the bloody finger into his mouth with a sick smile.

“Congratulations, princess. You bought your freedom with your blood. I’ll see you in a couple of months for the trade-off,” he told her, standing and re-entering the club with his goons, leaving her and Sereia outside. 

Sereia crawled over to her, sobbing. “Song! Are you okay? Oh, gods, you’re bleeding really badly!”

Shiri grit her teeth in agony, everything hurt, the migraine was pulsing by now. “Fish… your com-pad… do you have it?”

Sereia nodded, going through her clutch before pulling out the device. “What do I do?”

“Call… Shimmer… to come to get me…” she blacked out again, she doesn’t know how long that time but when she opened her eyes again, Sereia was shaking her shoulders. 

“Shiri? Shiri! You have to stay awake! You’re losing too much blood! I just got off the call with Shimmer, she should be here in a moment.”

There was a flash of sparkles beside them and Shimmer appeared, gasping as she took in the scene. “What the fuck happened here?!” she exclaimed as she knelt beside Shiri, who was darting her eyes around to keep herself awake.

“Brightmoon… take me… to Brightmoon…” she gritted out and Shimmer nodded, grabbing her and Sereia’s arm and disappearing in another burst of sparkles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the short update, I needed to get this out of my system! I may be taking a few days to recoup from my COVID vaccine, my arm is hurting! Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiri is bleeding out and her powers start to reveal themselves

Chapter 11

Finn was curled up in their bed, purring softly as they slept. Melog slept peacefully at their feet, their purrs synced with Finn’s. Everything was peaceful until a burst of sparkles filled the room and Shimmer, Sereia, and Shiri appeared, collapsing to the ground. The sparkles startled Finn as they jumped up, grabbing the knife they kept under their pillow. 

“Finn!” they heard Shimmer yell and they groaned in response, relaxing. 

“Shimmer? What are you doing? It’s the middle of the night…” they muttered, rubbing their eyes sleepily. Until the stench of blood hit their nostrils. That woke them up instantly as they bounded off the bed and towards the group of women before them. Shiri laid on the ground, blood starting to pool around her. 

“What happened?! Shiri!” they asked, taking her hand as they tried to find the source of the bleed. She blinked up at them, a dopey grin gracing her features. Finn tried to hold back a growl when they noticed finger-like bruises along her cheeks, neck, and arms. 

“Heyyyy Finn… why’s there four of you? Wait… no two… four kitties… pretty kitty,” she giggled, bringing her hands up to her face, frowning. “Whoa! Who’s blood is this?”

Melog meowed beside Finn, nuzzling Shiri’s side comfortingly. Sereia was crying as she put her hand over the shoulder where the bullet went through. 

“She was trying to get out! She said that tonight was the last night she was going out, that her days going out and partying was over! She wanted to do better but Alejandro showed up and she had to tell him and he shot her! Oh, gods, he said she had to pay her way in blood!”

“I’m going to fucking kill him, I swear! Shimmer, go get my mom! She can heal her!” Finn yelled and Shimmer disappeared. Shiri stared at them before wincing, a pulse of magic penetrating the room. 

“Fucking hell! Hallie? Where’s Hallie? I need…” she cried out, clutching her head, forcing Finn and Sereia to move back as her eyes flashed white briefly. 

“Sereia, Halina is in the next room. Go grab her. I’m taking her to the guest room, there’s a rune circle there to help contain the magic,” they told her, picking up Shiri gently as she gripped them with her good arm. Sereia nodded, leading the way out of the room as Finn carried Shiri down the hallway.

“I got you. You’re going to be okay, I promise,” they reassured her as they left a trail of blood down the hall. “How could you be so stupid? He could have killed you.”

“I’m tired, Finn…” she said softly, closing her eyes as they entered the guest room. They immediately went into the rune circle when Shiri pulsed another wave of magic, nearly knocking them back. Finn gripped her tighter as Shimmer appeared with Adora and Catra and Sereia ran into the room with Halina, Archer, and Flora. 

“Shimmer, activate the rune. It’s getting stronger,” they told her and she shook her head, taking a step forward.

“You need to get out of there. I’ll activate it when you’re out of the way.”

“No, I’m staying. She needs me,” they told her, making a point to sit down, cradling the woman in their lap. She tensed, letting out another strangled cry as her eyes flashed again. “Do it! Now!”

“Finn!” Catra screamed as Shimmer knelt outside the circle and activated it, putting up the barrier as the third wave of magic pulsated out. “Adora! Help them!”

“What happened?! Why is there so much blood?!” The older woman demanded, stepping towards the barrier. 

“Take one more fucking step towards me and I’ll wipe you off of Etheria…” Shiri murmured, eyes opening blearily up at Finn. “I don’t need her…”

“Alejandro shot her as she tried to leave tonight. She seems to be detoxing as well. That’s why the magic is behaving erratically. I need you to heal her, mom. Please,” Finn begged, taking Shiri’s hand gently as they looked down at her. 

“Where’s Hallie? I want Hallie…” Shiri asked, trying and failing to move her head. 

“I’m right here, Shiri,” Halina said, stepping up towards the barrier and placing her hand on it. “You need to let Aunt Adora heal you. You’re bleeding out.”

Shiri stubbornly shook her head, everything spinning. She closed her eyes to stop the movement, breathing heavily through her nose. Everything hurt but she could feel herself going numb. Finn got angrier the longer they stared at the bruises on her, the impressions of fingers touching her pale skin. 

“Just wait until she loses consciousness then heal her. She won’t have a choice,” Halina told Adora, who nodded. Shiri scoffed, nuzzling into Finn’s neck with a soft hum. 

“I’m going to bleed out and stay awake to spite you,” she whispered. Her hand, which was behind held by Finn, tightened around theirs painfully as her body seized. Finn let out a yelp as her muscles tightened, tensing painfully as she was sucked into a vision, eyes glowing white.

_

_ She blinked, staring up at the sky as a gentle breeze moved her hair into her face. She brushed it back, surprised to find the long black curls as she sat up and looked around. She was sitting on a picnic blanket on a flower-covered hill outside of the city. She could see the outline of it from here and faintly heard music wafting up the hill. _

_ “ _ Mommy _!” she heard a squeal and turned to see a little magicat girl run towards her, her black locks flying behind her, small patches of blonde gracing the tufts around her ears. She giggled as her baby blue eyes shimmered with excitement and she pounced on Shiri, the older woman easily catching the wild kitten into her arms.  _

_ “ _ Amora! What did I say about running off?! _ ” she heard behind her as she cradled the toddler kitten and looked up to see Finn walk towards them, smiling. Her heart skipped a beat, looking at this older Finn. They were still handsome, with blonde hair pulled back into a bun and wearing the colors of Musica.  _

_ “ _ I wanted to surprise mommy! Guess what! Daddy let me chase a mouse! It was quick but I was quicker! _ ” Amora said proudly, puffing out her chest. Shiri laughed, taking a strand of the little girl's hair between her fingers and stroking it gently.  _

_ “ _ I’m so proud of you, my love. Say, why don’t you go pick Aunt Hallie some flowers to take to the library?” _ she told her and Amora quickly scrambled off her lap, racing down the hill. Finn chuckled, taking a seat beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, affectionately kissing her cheek.  _

_ “ _ Did you miss us, my wife? _ ” they said softly and she nodded, leaning into them.  _

_ “ _ Of course I did. A mouse? Looks like we won’t need pest control in the palace anymore, _ ” she laughed softly.  _

_ “ _ She’s feisty, like her mama. And her grandmothers. Nothing we can do about it _ ,” they told her, turning to watch their daughter pick the wildflowers. Shiri smiled, gazing up at the sky again. It was so peaceful, so relaxing.  _

_ “ _ You were always feisty as a kid, _ ” she heard a new voice on the other side of her and turned to see Calliope sitting beside her, looking youthful and happy.  _

_ “ _ Mama? _ ” she whispered, reaching out to touch the woman.  _

_ “ _ Just like your mom, Lexie. She was feisty too. Stubborn, headstrong, independent. I’m glad you always took after her,”  _ Calliope said, taking Shiri’s hand and placing it on her cheek. _

“This isn’t a vision… you can’t be in a future vision when you’re…”  _ Shiri trailed off, tears in her eyes. _

“It’s still a future vision, I just decided to interrupt it a little. It’s not your time, my song. You still have so much to do. Our kingdom needs you,”  _ Calliope told her and Shiri shook her head.  _

“The kingdom doesn’t need someone like me. Why can’t Zimri do it? Why me?” 

“Why not you? It’s what you were born to do, what you’ve trained your entire life to be. Why would you not be someone we need?”  _ Calliope asked softly, standing up.  _ “It’s time to go.”

“Wait! I have so many questions!”  _ Shiri stood up quickly, the vision already starting to fade.  _ “Please… don’t leave again!”

“I never left you, Shiri. I’ve always been with you. And when you’re ready, I’ll be waiting for you,”  _ Calliope told her as the vision faded out.  _

_

Shiri sat up with a loud gasp, hand gripping the place over her heart tightly. She felt bile rise up in her throat and she turned to her side, vomiting up everything in her stomach from the night. A light sheen of sweat sat over her body as she convulsed, crying. She released everything she held until nothing but bile coated her tongue, making her gag. 

“Mama?” she whispered softly, tears blurring her vision as she lifted her head up weakly to survey the room. She noticed a light encircling her and figures on the other side of it but couldn’t make anyone out. She could hear talking but it was almost muted as her senses tried to catch back up with her. 

She sat back down and shakily reached for her feet, pulling off her heels that were covered in blood. She slowly unfastened both, kicking them away from her as she stared at her blood-stained feet. Where was that coming from? She felt up her legs, feeling the drying blood on her pants and up to her abdomen, wincing slightly at the tenderness. She felt up her sides and onto her shoulders, which felt stiff. Finally, down her arms until her eyes landed on her hands, caked and crusted in blood.

“What the fuck?” She said loudly, groaning as the migraine intensified. 

“Shiri?” she heard a voice and turned to see Finn crouching on the other side of the light, staring in at her. She crawled toward them, reaching a hand out to touch them but had her hand repelled back from the wall of light. 

“What is this, Finn? Where am I?” she asked, blinking as she focused more clearly on everything. She noticed her sister behind them as well as Archer, Shimmer, Sereia, and Flora. “What is this, a family reunion? Didn’t we already have one of those?”

“Shiri… this is serious. You were severely injured tonight. What were you thinking?” Finn scolded, placing a hand on the barrier. 

“I just… I find the nightlife boring, I guess. Thought I would liven things up a bit,” she joked but no one laughed. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and jerked her head, wincing. She saw She-Ra and Catra standing on the other side of the room, looking wary and she growled, her hand coming up to the shoulder that had been wounded. 

“You healed me… after I told you not to. Still using your stolen magic,” she hissed, standing up to make herself taller, hiding the tremor in her legs. 

“You were bleeding out. I wasn’t about to let you die,” She-Ra told her, frowning. 

“I’m dying, either way, it would have been less painful,” Shiri scoffed, turning her attention to Halina, who was glaring at the floor. “Hallie…” she reached out but doubled over, crying as magic pulsed through her small circle. 

“Shiri!” Halina said, coming to stand beside Finn. “This is for your own good. Until you detox from the drugs you were on and are able to regain control of your magic, we have you in this circle so you won’t hurt anyone.”

“Detox?! You don’t understand, I can’t detox! It will kill me!” Shiri yelled after the pain subsided, straightening back up. “Go get my bag! I need it! I’ve already progressed farther than I would like.”

“I have your bag,” Halina told her, holding up the two glass bottles of red liquid. Shiri stared at them, pushing her hand out as if to take them but being repelled away again. 

“Hallie… give those to me. I need them.”

“You’re being dramatic. Detoxing always feels like you're dying, from what I read. You’ll be fine once it’s cleared your system.”

Shiri growled, hitting at the barrier, causing Halina to flinch back at the aggression. “You dumbass! This isn’t a detox! It’s going to kill me!”

“Stop being such a drama queen! This stuff is repressing your powers and making you sick! I want my sister back! And this is the only way to get that!” Halina yelled back, taking one of the vials and smashing it to the floor. Shiri gasped, eyes flashing violently, threatening to take her under again as she sank to her knees, hand sliding down the barrier. 

This one felt different, more… painful. She felt heat coursing through her veins, liquid hot as her vision went red momentarily before she regained her sight. Finn was trying to get her attention, saying something but she was focused on her hands. Her hands, which had horrible red veins pulsating against the surface and crawling up her arms. She looked up at Halina’s horrified face. 

“I’m not being dramatic… I knew what I was signing up for when I started taking it. I wanted to forget, to be normal… That drug suppresses my powers at a cost. I have to keep taking it or I will die. I wanted to be rid of this power forever, I never wanted to hurt anyone else… The drug is meant to kill me before I lose control unless I take the next dose and suppress it again…” 

Halina stared at her in disbelief, gripping the last bottle tightly. Finn slammed their fists against the barrier near Shiri, growling.

“Why the hell would you do something so stupid?!”

“I lost everything the moment these powers came to me! I trained for years to control them! I never got to see my family! My friends! I missed everything! I even missed my mama dying! I wasn’t there to protect her! I wasn’t there to protect Hallie or Nicky either! These powers are useless if I can’t control them or use them!”

“Your kingdom needs you! Your people need you! Your family needs you! Shiri, I need you!” Finn yelled.

“I never wanted to be queen!” she sobbed, hiding her face in her hands. “I never wanted any of this! I just wanted to be a stupid fifteen-year-old who got to dance with her best friend at Princess Prom, not some prophetic recluse! I’ve seen… everything. The Heart showed me everything from its creation to a thousand years from now! I am a walking historical database! I never wanted that!”

The room went silent as she tried to steady her breathing, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. She laughed softly, feeling vulnerable and pathetic in front of everyone. 

“I just… wanted to be a normal girl who wanted to confess her feelings to the person she loved without the overhanging doom and gloom of knowing the answers to everything. It kinda turns people off,” she sniffled. “I was ready to die to have that and now that I’m on the cusp of actually dying… I want to live.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Halina cried. “I could have helped! Why didn’t you trust me?”

“You were a child! You had just gone through a traumatic event, we lost mom, you trauma bonded with our brother, you already had enough going on without my existential crisis happening. I thought I could handle it… obviously not. This is why you’re the smart one,” Shiri joked, causing a small smile to grace Halina’s face. 

“You can’t keep taking the drugs,” Halina informed her and Shiri groaned. 

“Yes, mom. I promise to stop taking the drugs as soon as you find a way to prevent me from dying. Geez, happy?”

“I don’t know… did that sound convincing to you, Finn?” Halina smirked and Finn chuckled, shaking their head. 

“Didn’t sound too convincing to me. I kinda wanna hear more about a certain confession to a certain best friend.”

“You guys are so embarrassing! You are getting nothing out of me, kitten. I’ll just sit here and die first!” Shiri pouted, turning her back to them. Her neck tensed and her head slammed back into the barrier, her body had gone rigid, as another vision gripped her. 

She vaguely heard yelling as the barrier dropped, causing her to fall backward but never hitting the floor. Flashes of her life passed before her from when she was a baby, a toddler, a child, a teenager, an adult, and now. Everything pulsed red, violent, and angry until she felt a sensation in her leg. 

Everything started to fade back to normal and she was dragged out of the visions again with a small gasp, staring up at Finn who had her head cradled in their lap. She looked down, seeing Halina pull the syringe out of her leg and she allowed her head to fall back with a sigh of relief. 

“Could you please stop scaring me like that? If I have to see you convulse again, I may start pulling out my fur,” Finn joked lightly but she could see the actual concern in their eyes. She gave them a weak smile, feeling her eyes droop.

“Sorry… I’ll try to… remember…” she yawned softly, drifting off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for putting off an update! I hope you're enjoying the book! Please kudos and comment!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another bathtub confession and some reconciliation

Chapter 12

“Mama! I don’t understand why we have to sit through another family portrait! We have like twenty!”  _ Shiri complained as a pregnant Calliope reached up to adjust her eldest daughter's crown with a smile.  _

“We don’t have a portrait together with your baby brother,”  _ she affectionately told her, playing with one of the stray curls before placing it back.  _

“Then why don’t we do the portrait after Nicaise arrives? I gotta get back to the temple soon…”

“Yea, mama. What’s up with you and portraits anyways? We do have a lot made,”  _ Zimri pointed out as he helped Halina get seated in the chair.  _

“Your mama is nostalgic. We all know this,”  _ Lexie told them, coming up to kiss Calliope’s temple and rub her belly.  _

“I just love seeing how our family is growing! When Nicky is born, we’ll have one with him in it as well. Until then, we’ll settle for this. Lexie, remember our first portrait? With just the two of us?”  _ Calliope asked her as Lexie led her to the other chair beside their youngest daughter, helping her sit down.  _

“I do remember it, my love. And you’re right, like usual. I love seeing our family has grown over the years,”  _ Lexie told her, indicating to the portrait maker to get started as she moved to stand behind the two chairs in between the twins.  _

“Besides, one day… we’re not going to always be together. I want to have these portraits so that we can look back and remember our family and the amazing love we share,”  _ Calliope said, reaching a hand up to take Lexie’s and squeezing it gently. The twins shared a look, Zimri placing a hand on their mama’s shoulder.  _

“You shouldn’t talk like that, mama. We’re all going to be together for a very long time,”  _ Zimri told her and Calliope smiled sadly as she looked around at her family.  _

“Yea… You’re right, my music. I hope we’re going to be together for a long time. I love you all so much. Don’t forget to smile.”

_

Shiri inhaled deeply as she woke up, feeling a weight on her stomach. She cracked her eyes open slowly, taking in the ceiling that definitely wasn’t hers before looking down to see Melog’s head resting on her stomach as they purred softly. She reached a hand out and scratched behind their ear gently, earning a soft merp as they looked up at her. 

“Hey, Melog. Have you been taking care of me while I’ve been asleep?” she asked, earning another merp in response that brought a smile to her face. 

“Melog wishes they could take the credit,” she heard a voice and looked over to see Finn enter the room, carrying a tray with a steaming mug and bowl. “But they have kept you safe and warm while I was away.”

“Finn…” she said, slowly sitting up so she could lean against the headboard. “How long was I out?”

“A couple of days. You needed the rest. We told your mom what was happening, she was planning on heading over as soon as you woke up,” they told her, sitting the tray on the bedside table as they sat down on the edge of the bed. Melog chittered at Finn, who affectionately rubbed them between their ears. 

“Go tell the moms she’s awake, okay?” they asked and Melog nodded, jumping off the bed and disappearing out the door. 

“Days? It’s usually never that bad…” she said and Finn grabbed the mug, placing it in her hands for her to drink. She sniffed it, instantly smiling. 

“Ginger tea, your favorite, with a splash of-”

“A splash of milk. How did you remember this? It’s been years,” she said as she took a sip. 

“I remember everything about you, silly. We were best friends, after all,” Finn reminded her with a smile that sent her blushing down into her hot mug. 

“You should have let me sleep on the couch or something. I’m still covered in dried blood and stuff. I smell awful and I know it probably smells worse to you,” she told them, sitting the mug down. “Could I take a bath?”

“You don’t smell that bad but a bath won’t hurt,” Finn said, standing up and holding out their hand to her. She took it, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and went to stand up. Her legs buckled under her weight and she fell forward, Finn catching her before she could touch the ground. 

“Guess I’m still weak… I’m sorry,” she said and Finn shook their head, reaching down to slide their arm under her knees and lift her up into a bridal hold. Shiri wrapped her arms around their neck and they headed into the bathroom. They sat her down on the edge of the in-ground tub and started the water, adjusting the temperature.

“I’ll leave you to it,” they told her and she grabbed their hand quickly, stopping them.

“Could you… stay? I don’t want to be alone…” she whispered. 

“Of course. But don’t expect me to take a bath with you. I don’t like water that much,” they joked, causing her to laugh as she started to undress.

“No, I remember. I don’t expect you to join. Just stay and keep me company,” she said as she finished undressing and slowly slid into the water, hissing at the warmth. 

“Is it too hot? I can fix that!” Finn exclaimed, going to adjust the knobs. 

“I’m fine! Just getting used to the warmth, Finn. So attentive,” she teased, leaning back against the wall to soak it in. Finn blushed, going back over and sitting on the edge of the tub, allowing only their legs to sit in the water. 

“Do you want me to wash your hair?” they asked and she nodded, moving so that she was in between their legs. Finn grabbed the pitcher they kept beside the tub and filled it with water, using it to wet her hair gently. They were silent for a few moments as they worked on her hair, grabbing the shampoo to start lathering it into her black locks. 

“Shiri? Can I ask you a question?” they asked. She hesitated before nodding. “Why did you decide to leave the nightlife? That’s what Sereia said caused the… incident with Alejandro…”

Shiri bit her lip, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs as Finn started to rinse out the suds. 

“I… I was done. It’s time that I stopped… being a child, being selfish and do what’s right for myself and everyone around me. I did all that, the drinking, the drugs, the partying… so that I could forget the pain I was feeling from my mama dying… from the burden I carry around… from the kingdom they want me to rule… It was easier to hide it than to face it.”

“Why didn’t you ask for help? You have family and friends that could have helped you during this… you pushed us all away…” Finn murmured, rinsing out the second application of shampoo, going to condition the hair. 

“I was scared and confused. I blamed a lot of what happened on your mom… and myself… I didn’t feel like I could ask for help. Mom was out of it for… six months with Zimri taking care of her. Halina was raising Nicaise and figuring out how to live with this new reality we had. I had to run the kingdom by myself and my godparents and Aunt Haevyn helped as much as they could but they don’t know how to run it. They’ve never had to run it. Also… I hadn’t talked to any of you in years because of my training…”

“Just because you hadn’t talked to us doesn’t mean we would not have been there. We’re your friends… I’m your friend, Shiri,” Finna said as he finished rinsing out the conditioner, watching the water start to turn dark from the dirt and blood. 

“I know you’re my friend… but I always wanted more…” 

“More?”

Shiri turned around to face Finn, cheeks red from the heat of the water. She gave a small laugh, eyes starting to glisten.

“Did you know my mom confessed her feelings to my mama in a bathtub as she washed my mama's hair? They had been best friends for years before then and… my mama thought she had lost my mom in a battle during the war…” 

“Shiri…” Finn whispered, leaning down some towards her as she placed her hands onto their knees, leaning towards him some.

“I… I’m not good at this… I won’t be perfect. I have a lot of flaws and I am working through the trauma that I have forced down. But… I know that it’s always been you. I’ve always been in love with you, Finn, and the last couple months of us reconnecting… I want it to be more than just sex between us. I want more…” 

“You love me?” they gasped softly, leaning in so their foreheads touched and both of their hands were cupping her face. 

“I love you, Finn. I always have. I want to be with you if you’ll have me,” she whispered against their lips and they closed the distance, kissing her passionately. She groaned softly, moving to sit up on her knees to deepen the kiss, wrapping her arms around their neck. They pulled apart after a few moments, gasping for breath but not moving too far away. 

“You’re the reason I left… I want a healthy life with you. I’ve seen a future with you and I want that more than anything on Etheria.”

Finn laughed softly, planting kisses all over her face that raised giggles from her. “I love you too, Shiri.”

“Show me… make love to me, Finn,” she whispered and Finn wasted no time pulling her from the bathtub, holding her in their arms and returning to the bedroom to fulfill her wish, her legs wrapped around their waist as a hum built in her chest. 

_

They were wrapped up in each other’s arms hours later, basking in the afterglow of their love-making with Shiri’s head resting on Finn’s chest as they ran their fingers through her short locks. 

“I never want this to end…” Finn mumbled softly and Shiri couldn’t have agreed more, letting out a gentle hmm as she snuggled closer to them. 

“I love you,” she said, kissing their exposed skin gently. They rubbed up and down her back, smiling. 

“I love you too. I never want to stop saying that.”

She leaned up some, looking at him with a smile. “You never want to stop doing anything, huh?”

“With you, time could stop and I would be the happiest cat on Etheria. You mean everything to me.”

Shiri pecked their lips softly, running her fingers up to scratch behind their ears, pulling purrs from them. “Hey… when we get some time, I want to show you something.”

“What do you want to show me?” Finn asked, sitting up some, pulling Shiri with them so she was draped across their upper half, their chests pressed together.

“I just… want to show you what I had been doing all those years before my mama died. You’re going to love it.”

“I thought you couldn’t use your powers?” Finn tilted his head in question and she shook her head quickly.

“I can’t, not to that extent. I want to show you the Heart chamber. Your mom and I spent years rebuilding the temple while I was training and meditating within it.”

“I would love to see it. And we’re going to find a way to stop this drug from hurting you, I promise,” they told her, cupping her cheek.

“I know… then we have forever.”

“Forever sounds too short.”

“You’re right… forever won’t be long enough to spend with you,” she said, leaning in and pulling them into a kiss. The door to the bedroom burst open and Shiri squealed in surprise, pulling the blanket over her as Finn pulled the sheet up towards them. Halina, Archer, and Shimmer stood there in surprise, Shimmer trying not to snicker.

“Haven’t you guys heard of knocking!” Finn scolded and Shiri peeked her head out from under the blanket. Archer went bright red as he turned around so that his back was to them and Halina cleared her throat, embarrassed.

“I was just coming to tell you that mom will be here soon and she wanted to meet in the garden…” Halina said, shuffling on her feet. 

“I’ll be there in a moment, Hallie,” Shiri told her as Finn threw a pillow at Shimmer, who could no longer contain her laughter. 

“Get out! Has no one heard of privacy?!” Finn grumbled and Halina moved forward, sitting some clothes onto an empty chair before retreating out of the room with the other two, Shimmer being dragged out by Archer as she made kissy faces. 

Shiri looked up at Finn after the door closed and burst out laughing, followed by their laughter as well. “Did you see Hallie’s face?! That was so worth it!” 

“Hallie?! Archer’s was even worse! I think we scarred him for life!” Finn chuckled, falling back against the pillows with her. Their laughter started to die down as their hands found the others and intertwined. 

“I need to get up and go meet my mom…” Shiri said softly, staring up at the ceiling. 

“Yea… I need to go see mine as well… give her some updates. I’ll meet you in the gardens after your meeting?” Finn asked hopefully, turning their head to look at her. She smiled back at him, nodding and they got up, getting dressed. 

_

It had been years since Shiri had been at Brightmoon, much less it’s gardens. The gardens had always been her favorite place at the palace, thanks to her mama and Aunt Haevyn. They had taught her about plants and flowers, giving her a love for digging her fingers into the soft earth and bringing life into the garden. Her favorite had been the trees that Brightmoon kept. One, because the different fruit was always so appealing to munch on and two, because she loved chasing after Finn through the branches. 

She rested her hand against the trunk of a large tree, the one she had fallen out of when she was a child chasing Finn up it and had broken her arm. There was a bench under this tree now, a wooden one with wrought iron legs and arms that curled into intricate shapes of flowers. She closed her eyes, remembering her years in the garden, almost making out the soft laughter of children when she heard footsteps approach her. 

She opened her eyes, turning to see who was coming when a small figure collided into her, almost toppling her over. She looked down to see a small magicat girl with a brown mane and blue eyes staring up at her, wrapped around her waist. She smiled softly, the small child reminding her of Finn.

“Hey, what’s your name?” she asked and the little magicat giggled, pulling away.

“I’m Nala! My mommy is She-Ra! Who are you?” 

“I’m Princess Shiri of Musicia. It’s nice to meet you, Nala. Where is your mom?”

“Oh wow! You’re a princess? I wish I was a princess! Are you going to be a queen one day like Aunt Glimmer?”

“Maybe… I don’t know if I want to be a queen,” Shiri explained softly and Nala frowned.

“Why not? Being a queen would be awesome! I think you’ll be great!”

“Nala! There you are! You can’t keep running off like that!” Adora said as she entered the garden, taking in the scene before her as she tensed. Shiri straightened her posture as well, eyeing Adora wearily. 

“Mommy! This is Princess Shiri and she’s my friend! Aren’t you?” Nala looked up at Shiri with a big smile, not sensing the tension building in the garden as Shiri broke eye contact to smile down at the little girl.

“Of course we’re friends. Now, why don’t you run along with your mom? I’m waiting for mine as well,” Shiri encouraged, nuding her towards Adora and Nala ran over, wrapping her arms around her mom’s waist. Adora tousled her hair affectionately. 

“Go find your mama. I’ll be there in a moment,” she told Nala, who nodded and ran off into the palace. Shiri stayed silent, moving to sit on the bench underneath the tree. Adora stepped forward some, seeming to be at a loss for words as she eyed the tree Shiri sat under. 

“You fell out of that tree when you were a little girl. I remember Finn carrying you to me to heal your arm. You’ve always been so brave…” 

“What do you want, Aunt Adora? An apology? I don’t know if I can give it yet…” 

“No, that’s not what I want…” Adora sighed, going and sitting on the other side of the bench, wringing her hands nervously. “I just want to talk. We’re family, I’ve always been here for you, even when you didn’t want me to be. We’re now starting to realize the extent you had to suffer through by yourself…”

“Why weren’t you here?” Shiri asked, looking at Adora, who frowned. 

“What do you mean?”

“Why weren’t you on Etheria the day my mama died? Why didn’t you do anything? She had told you for months that there had been violent activity in the Whispering Woods and you did nothing. She was coming to Brightmoon to figure out how to stop it that day…” 

“I was on another planet trying to bring back it’s magic. That’s what I’ve done for years, you know this. We hadn’t figured out a plan to control the Whispering Woods yet so I didn’t see any harm in leaving for a few days… it was all bad timing and circumstance.”

“You’re supposed to be Etheria’s champion and yet you spent your time helping other planets. You should have been here, she would still be alive!” Shiri started to raise her voice, feeling fear and anger bubble in her chest. 

“Shiri… your mama knew she was going to die…” Adora said gently and Shiri whipped her head violently to stare at her, tears starting to glisten in her eyes. 

“What…?” 

“Your mama knew… that she was going to die before her eldest daughter’s coronation day… She knew she was going to die one day soon and she told us on the night before her wedding about the vision she had when she visited the Heart.”

“She knew…? Oh my gods, the portrait… that’s why she had so many portraits done…” Shiri said, putting her head in her hands as her body started to tremble. Adora scooted closer, hesitant but gently wrapped her arms around Shiri. 

“Aunt Adora… I’m so… angry with you,” she sobbed, allowing the older woman to hold her. “I’m so angry that you weren’t here. I’m angry that she died, that she knew she would die. I feel so much… rage inside of me that I’m scared it’s going to crawl it’s way out of my skin.”

“You have every right to be angry. I should have been here, we should have done something about the Whispering Woods sooner. We should have been there for you and your family. We just thought it would be better for you if we stayed away, that you would feel differently after a few months and then it turned into years and… I’m so sorry, Shiri,” Adora explained, holding her close. Shiri sobbed into her arms for a while, trembling. That’s how Lexie found the two when she entered the garden and she was immediately by her daughter’s side, wrapping her arms around her.

“My song, what’s wrong? What happened?” Lexie asked frantically, checking her over for injuries and Shiri turned from Adora, settling into her mom’s embrace. 

“I miss her! Oh gods, I miss her so much! I miss her smile and her laugh. I miss the smell of her hair, it always smelled like lavender. I miss her singing, the lullabies she would sing to us when we were small. Nicky never got to hear her sing,” Shiri sobbed into her mom’s arms. “I even miss taking those stupid portraits! I would give anything for her to nag me about taking one of those portraits again!”

“Shhh, it’s okay, baby girl. I miss her too. I miss her so so much,” Lexie told her, rocking them gently. 

“How do you do it? How do you go on living in a world she doesn’t exist in anymore? She was your soulmate, how do you do it?”

Lexie blinked softly, pulling away some to cup her daughters face and give her a watery smile before singing softly.

_ She dedicated every day to you _

_ She changed my life _

_ She made my life worthwhile _

_ And when you smile  _

_ I know a part of her lives on _

_ I know I can go on _

Lexie rubbed a thumb over her daughter's cheeks, wiping away the tears as her own started to fall. “I live with this pain because of you and Zimri and Hallie and Nicky. I had my one true love, she made living easy. She made every day an adventure. We made a vow on our wedding day that we would grow old together, see our grandkids and great grandkids. She’s not here to see that day but I am. I’m going to keep my promise to her to live until I’m old and grey.”

“I'm so sorry! I’m so sorry that I hurt you! I’ve been a selfish, spoiled brat! All you wanted was to step down from the throne to focus on us and the orphanage and I was too selfish to let you. I’ve been trying to forget and bury everything with the drugs and partying and I’m done. I’m done, mom. As soon as we fix this, I’m ready. I’m ready to take the throne,” Shiri hiccuped, burying her face into her mom’s shoulder as she felt Adora’s hand rubbing circles into her back.

“I’m in no rush for you to take the throne. You have so much to work through. When it’s time, you’ll know. You are so brave, my song. You have always been my brave little girl. I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you. That I disappeared for all those months and left you to figure it out on your own. That was selfish. I was selfish.”

“We’ve always clashed… haven’t we?” Shiri sniffled, smiling some. 

“You’ve always been too much like me. Your mama would always say-”

“She’s feisty, like you. Independent, headstrong, and stubborn,” Shiri finished her thought and Lexie blinked in surprise. “She came to me in one of my visions…” 

Lexie gasped, putting a hand over her mouth as the tears fell faster. “You talked to her?”

“Yes… she was glad I took after you so much and that our kingdom needed me… I don’t know what for yet.”

“She’s right, like always. We do need you but we need you when you are able… don’t rush it.”

She took a shaky breath, turning so she could see Adora as well, taking her hand in hers. “I’m not ready to forgive… but I will need your help when the time comes… I will need everyone’s help when it’s time.”

Adora squeezed her hand back, smiling. “You have my help for whatever you need. I hope one day we can be back on good terms again.”

“Shiri?” she heard and saw Finn enter the garden, looking concerned as they took in her face. They quickly headed towards her and she stood up, releasing her grip on the two women as she ran towards them, being wrapped up in their arms immediately. 

“Are you okay?” they whispered in her ear as they held her, scenting her neck with their cheek. She nodded, pulling her head back to kiss them gently.

“I’m okay… relieved really.”

Both of the moms gaped at them before Lexie smirked, punching Adora in the arm. “Guess we’re going to be in-laws soon! I told you so!”

“Nu-uh! I told you so! You owe me!” Adora exclaimed back, pushing Lexie some, who laughed. Finn and Shiri looked at their moms, shaking their heads in amusement at the exchange.

“To guess they were even competitive about us getting together,” Finn commented, resting their chin on her shoulder as she scratched their ears.

“Please, they are competitive about everything! You shouldn’t be that surprised! Cut it out, you two! We’re not getting married anytime soon!” Shiri told them, sticking her tongue out over her shoulder at the pair. 

“I bet they get married by the end of the year!” Lexie told Adora, who gasped.

“No way! Six months tops!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long chapter, I hope you enjoy it! Don't worry, we are nowhere near through! I have so much more up my sleeve! Don't forget to kudos and comment to boost my serotonin levels :)


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